Former Starkville Parks Director Herman Peters has been indicted for his role in an embezzlement case that rocked the department late last year.

An Oktibbeha County grand jury indicted Peters for conspiracy to defraud the state on July 6. He was served his indictment and processed at the Oktibbeha County Jail on Monday.

Starkville aldermen fired Peters on Jan. 2 after placing him on unpaid administrative leave in late December. Starkville Police Department arrested Peters on Jan. 18. That same day, police also arrested former parks employees Schronda Eddins, Anthony Stevenson and Marion Watson. Diane Evans, a former parks and recreation administrative assistant, was arrested on Dec. 29.

Peters is accused of embezzling $21,702.50 between January 2015 and November 2017. According to city court documents, he conspired with Evans to pay Watson, Stevenson and Eddins for more hours than they worked.

Stevenson and Watson worked for the parks and recreation department as contractors, while Eddins was a department employee.

So far, Peters is the only suspect in the case to be served with an indictment. The July circuit court term began Monday and new indictments are in the process of being served.

Peters has been released from jail on $5,000 bond, according to jail personnel.

Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.