The State Auditor's office released their annual "exceptions report" outlining money owed to communities across the state including here at home.

That report details cases of "mis-spending" or "mis-use" of taxpayer dollars. But hundreds of thousands of dollars from embezzlement and money laundering cases may never get paid back.

In this 36 page report, State Auditor Stacey Pickering highlights recovering 4-point-7 million dollars in money owed back to mississippi taxpayers. Where cases of "misuse" and "misspending" pop up all over the state.

"Nine times out of 10, we're able to get the full amount in immediately upon an inclusion of a case or shortly there after", says State Auditor Stacey Pickering.

But take three Mississippi counties Hinds, Winston, and Yalobusha where hundreds of thousands of dollars was taken from taxpayers because of money laundering, fraud, or embezzlement.

Now take a closer look at the report -- from Hinds county, Michael Walters owes over 125 thousand dollars, but last year paid 1-thousand dollars. Leaving 125 years left to pay back the balance.

"There are some cases where we have individuals, either under court order, or through mutual agreement are paying in on installments as they can," says Pickering.

Then in Winston county, former Deputy Tax Collector Angie Tidwell embezzled 260-thousand dollars in 2009 she paid back 38-hundred dollars, and still has about 67 years to finish off the 256-thousand dollar tab.

Then there's the infamous 2006 beef plant indictment of richard hall, who's in jail for mail fraud and money laundering.
He still owes almost 550-thousand dollars back. But last year paid just 75-dollars.

Pickering says that, "In this situation it's the taxpayers of the State of Mississippi that are owed this money from Richard Hall and he's serving out his prison term. We're going to continue to hold him accountable and hopefully recoupe as much of that money as absolutely possible."

Pickering also says this could mean going back and re-visiting a case with the courts. But for now he says it will take time, "It's going to be a slow steady, installment plan in order to meet the balance."

For the full State Auditors report go to: Www.Osa.Ms.Gov/documents/investigative/inv2010.Pdf