Jackson Free Press

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) — Former Mississippi state Sen. Tommy Roberston pleaded guilty Monday to one count of embezzling more than $379,000 from a $484,000 construction loan he handled for a couple in 2013, when he was the board attorney for Singing River Federal Credit Union.

Robertson, 59, of Moss Point, entered his plea in Jackson County Circuit Court.

He originally was charged with five counts of taking money from Singing River Federal Credit Union, but prosecutors dropped four of the counts when he pleaded guilty to one.

Sentencing will be held in about two months for Robertson, who no longer has a license to practice law. He had been the credit union's attorney for more than 25 years, WLOX-TV reported (http://bit.ly/1NPKUHk ).

Robertson served in the Mississippi Senate from 1992 to 2008, and was Senate Finance Committee chairman his final four years.

The Sun Herald reported (http://bit.ly/1Nly4ir ) that although Robertson pleaded guilty to embezzling a portion of the $484,000, the district attorney's office said he had access to the whole amount, misappropriated all of it and has agreed to pay it back.

Robertson was arrested in January. Since then, the credit union has sued Robertson, he has filed bankruptcy and a judgment has been entered garnishing his wages, court officials said.

Special Judge Richard McKenzie asked Robertson during the hearing Monday: "Did you commit the crime of embezzlement?"

Robertson replied, "Yes sir, I did."

The embezzlement happened in April 2013, according to District Attorney Tony Lawrence.

Robertson, as an agent for the credit union, secured the construction loan for a couple building a house. He took the money from the loan and used it to pay off his own debts, Lawrence said.

"We followed the money," Lawrence told the judge.

Robertson is doing general accounting and supply work in Texas for industrial contracting company P.G. Floore, his attorney Jimmy Heidelberg said. Robertson is under bond and the judge decided Monday to let him to continue working out of state.

Since January, Robertson has been paying back the money he took, Heidelberg said.

Jimmy Smith, president and CEO of Singing River Federal Credit Union, told WLOX that officials began investigating what happened after the credit union did not receive a check from Robertson after the closing on the construction loan in April 2013. Insurance covered most of the $484,092 missing, but Smith said the credit union had to absorb a significant amount of the losses.

"None of the members took any loss as a result of this," Smith said. "We fully restored immediately any funds and made good, so this was very transparent to any of our members."