No more bingo hall work for manager who forged check

Wednesday, April 19, 2000 | 10:18 a.m.

Donna Yoakum, who supervised the Mart 51 Bingo Hall in Jackson, pleaded guilty in Hinds County Justice Court to having an employee forge a $503 bingo hall check and cashing the check.

Yoakum was fined $500 plus court costs. Yoakum's conviction on the misdemeanor charge prohibits her from working in any of the state's bingo operations or casinos.

Yoakum had the check forged in a patron's name after the patron who had won the money was given cash for her winnings, state Gaming Commission officials said.

"If you go over $500 you have to have a check written out so the bingo hall has a record to report," said commission spokeswoman Ashley Skellie. "Yoakum didn't want to file a report with a mistake so she had the check written out in the lady's name."

The other employee will not face any charges, said Rick Ward, director of the commission's Charitable Gaming Division.

"The other employee was one of the people who came to us," Ward said. "She signed the check at the direction of Donna Yoakum."

In 1999, Yoakum, former Recovery Lodge Director George McBrayer, his wife, Ruby McBrayer, and her son, Neil Harper, were arrested and charged with misusing charity money.

The four were not prosecuted on the charges.