FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE
January 9, 2017
For More Information, contact:
Luther Strange
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Alabama Attorney General
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
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AG LUTHER STRANGE ANNOUNCES GUILTY PLEA OF FORMER MOSSES
MAYOR WALTER HILL FOR FELONY ETHICS VIOLATION
(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Luther Strange announced the filing of an
Information and subsequent plea of guilty entered by Walter S. Hill, former mayor of the
Town of Mosses (Lowndes County), on a felony ethics violation for using his office for
personal gain in the total amount of $25,370.37 on January 6, 2017. Hill resigned the day
before he pled guilty to the felony ethics violation in Montgomery County Circuit Court.
Hill was previously convicted of misdemeanor ethics charges in 2014, and remained
in office. Due to these felony charges he resigned last week rather than being removed
automatically from office.
“Mr. Hill has committed flagrant abuses of the public trust and taxpayers’ money for
too long,” said Attorney General Strange. “It is extremely important that this case has resulted
in him no longer being in office.”
The Information filed by the Attorney General Strange’s Special Prosecutions
Division charged Hill with unlawfully directing money, in the form of checks drawn on the
town’s bank accounts, to himself. Specifically:
- Mayor Hill used Town of Mosses funds to make his child support payments that were
processed by the Department of Human Resources in Montgomery County. He then
created fraudulent records in an attempt to conceal his theft. - Mayor Hill issued unauthorized payroll checks to Town of Mosses employees and
deposited them into his personal bank account in Montgomery County. - Mayor Hill issued himself six additional monthly stipend payments without
authorization or approval. He then deposited the payments into his personal bank
account. - Mayor Hill issued himself reimbursement payments for property lost in a fire at his
residence. The alleged lost property was not covered by insurance, and the payments for reimbursement were not authorized or approved. He then deposited the payments into his personal bank account.
501 Washington Avenue * Montgomery, AL 36104 * (334) 242-7300
www.ago.state.al.us Page 2 of 2
- Mayor Hill issued himself multiple other checks on the Town of Mosses’ account
without authorization or approval. He then deposited the checks into his personal
bank account. - Mayor Hill’s schemes resulted in the unlawful personal gain of $25,370.37.
Hill faces a potential penalty of two to 20 years’ imprisonment for his ethics
violation, which is a Class B felony. Hill’s sentencing has been set for February 15, 2017.
Attorney General Strange praised those involved in bringing this case to
successful resolution, noting in particular Assistant Attorney General Katie Langer and
Special Agents of his Special Prosecutions Division. He also thanked the special agents
of the Alabama Ethics Commission and the Alabama State Fire Marshal’s Office for
their cooperation and assistance in the investigation.
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