A Lowndes County corrections officer was arrested Thursday in connection to thefts of copper wiring from the Mississippi Sheriff’s Association Boys Ranch.
He allegedly sold the copper at a local scrap yard with inmates while on duty.
Randy Magers, 49, has been charged with multiple felonies including embezzlement and grand larceny, according to a press release from the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office. He was arrested by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations, after detectives from LCSO received a tip about Magers that he was selling scrap metal at a local scrapyard almost daily.
Magers was in charge of the inmate work program at the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center. He had been assigned to work at the old sheriff’s ranch on Motley Road, where he supervised inmates tasked with clearing brush and mowing to restore the property after the county took over the ranch last spring.
During an inspection of the property, detectives found that several structures that had served as residential quarters when the ranch was operational had been completely stripped of their copper electrical wiring. The estimated damage to the structures “exceeds tens of thousands of dollars,” the release said.
Moreover, detectives discovered additional evidence on the property linking Magers and the inmates under his supervision to the thefts, the release said.
Detectives also found that Magers had conducted 91 scrap sales between Feb. 26, 2024, and April 4, 2025. The total amount of those sales was $20,790.79 and he failed to report those transactions to county administration. All of the transactions occurred while Magers was on duty and using a county vehicle, and video surveillance showed inmates unloading stolen items at the scrapyard.
“Any person in a position of public service must be held to a higher standard,” Sheriff Eddie Hawkins said in the release. “It’s very disappointing when a public servant compromises his integrity. We expect better from those who are entrusted with public responsibility.”
Hawkins told The Dispatch on Friday that Magers had worked with LCSO “on and off” for 13 years. His employment was terminated Thursday, as he had been arrested for a felony.
Magers is being held in the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center on a $25,000 bond for each charge. The investigation is ongoing, and more charges and arrests are expected, the release said. LCSO has submitted all information and evidence regarding the crimes to MBI, and the findings will be presented to the district attorney’s office and forwarded to a Lowndes County grand jury.
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