Former CEO of Mississippi CU Gets No Prison Time for Embezzlement

A former CEO who allegedly embezzled at least $15,000 from a Mississippi credit union was sentenced last week to a pre-trial intervention program instead of prison, according to court documents.

Stephen Hopkins, 42, of Brandon allegedly began stealing funds from the $9.4 million HealthPlus Federal Credit Union in Jackson, Miss., less than a year after he was appointed CEO.

According to a grand jury indictment filed in the First Judicial District of Hinds County, Hopkins’ alleged embezzlement began in January 2019 and continued through June 2021. He was named CEO in April 2018. The indictment did not report how the alleged embezzlement was discovered or how Hopkins allegedly carried out the theft and concealed it.

Even though the indictment was filed in state court on Oct. 6, 2021, Hopkins was not arrested until June 29 when he was involved in an accident while driving a county vehicle, according to a local news report. After leaving HealthPlus in the spring of 2021, he became director of administration for the Hinds County Board of Supervisors. A background check on Hopkins by police who responded to the accident found a warrant for his arrest stemming from the indictment.

According to a local media report, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, who worked with Hopkins regularly, was unsure why it took so long for Hopkins to be arrested.

Last July, he pleaded not guilty to the felony charge.

The court order that placed the former credit union executive in Mississippi’s pre-trial intervention program did not say whether Hopkins has paid restitution or whether he was ordered to pay restitution.

District Attorney Owens and Matthew B. Baker, president/CEO of the $9.8 million HealthPlus in Jackson, did not respond to CU Times’ email and phone requests seeking clarification regarding restitution. Hopkins and his attorney, Damon R. Stevenson, did not respond to CU Times’ requests for comment.

The pre-trial intervention program provides first-time, non-violent offenders to avoid having a criminal record if they successfully complete certain conditions, according to the office of the Hinds County District Attorney. The offenders are also offered education and tools through specialized programs to help them become better and more productive members of society.

Although Hopkins left HealthPlus to become the director of administration for the Hinds County Board of Supervisors, he is not listed on Hinds County’s website.

According to his LinkedIn page, Hopkins held various positions at three other credit unions and a bank in Mississippi before he joined HealthPlus.