Four present and former officers of the Meridian Police Department have each been charged in separate indictments for theft and embezzlement of federal funds, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.

The four indictments, dated November 6, 2019, charge Captain James F. Arrington, 62, with two counts of theft and embezzlement amounting to over $22,000 in loss; Sergeant Dareall D. Thompson, 41, with two counts of theft and embezzlement, totaling over $14,000; former Officer Erica L. Harmon, 51, with one count of theft and embezzlement of more than $5,000; and Officer Tenesia A. Evans, 37, with one count of theft and embezzlement, according to a news release. According to court documents, Evans embezzled $5,779 in city funds.

“According to the indictments, between January 2016 and December 2019, each defendant is alleged to have been an employee of the City of Meridian Police Department who embezzled and otherwise converted to his or her own use funds from the City, which was a governmental entity which received federal funding during each specified one year period,” the release said.

A press release from the city of Meridian said the city had no comment Wednesday.

City Council Vice President Weston Lindemann, who represents Ward 5, said Wednesday that he had shared some concerns with the state auditor’s office in 2018.

“Almost two years after complaints were originally made about at least one of these officers, we finally have indictments and so there are a number of issues I hope that the state auditor’s office will still be investigating and hopefully, we’ll see the conclusions of their investigations in due time,” Lindemann said.

It is not clear if the indictments are directly related to Lindemann’s concerns.

Three Meridian police officers who were placed on administrative leave due to an investigation from the state auditor’s office were fired last year and planned to appeal to the civil service commission, then-police chief Benny Dubose said at the time.

The officers were not named, and it’s unclear if the federal indictments involve those individuals.

Arrington, Thompson, Evans and Harmon all appeared Wednesday for arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge F. Keith Ball in Jackson and were released on bond, subject to conditions, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The defendants face maximum penalties of 10 years in prison for theft from an agency receiving federal funds and each count also can merit a fine of up to $250,000, the release said.

Trial has been set for Arrington on June 22 before the Hon. Henry T. Wingate, U.S. District Judge.

Trial has been set for Thompson on June 8 before the Hon. David C. Bramlette, Senior U.S. District Judge.

Trial has been set for Evans on July 6 before the Hon. Carlton W. Reeves, U.S. District Judge.

Trial has been set for Harmon on June 22 before the Hon. Daniel P. Jordan, Chief U.S. District Judge.

Mayor Percy Bland said last week that city leaders were looking for a new police chief, following the resignation of Interim Chief Lewis Robbins.

The city council approved Robbins’ 90-day appointment in February, but still needed to vote on a permanent chief.

Dubose resigned in January.