A candidate for sheriff in a northwestern Mississippi county is accused of forging signatures to get on the ballot.
Tunica County Sheriff K.C. Hamp said the petition of his opponent in an upcoming election, Dennis Allen, had felons and even dead people on his list 68 signatures to get on the ballot.
Hamp said woman listed in an obituary showed up on the petition – even though she died in 2017.
"I am pissed. And I am appalled," Hamp said.
Another person on the petition, Willie Green, died Jan. 4, 2019, the day Allen submitted his petition to the clerk's office.
Green’s niece said it is all wrong.
“There’s no way he could’ve signed that, my uncle don’t even write like that,” said Shanton Davidson said.
“Well, my thing is on that, I don’t understand what she’s talking about,” said Allen, who said all the allegations are bogus.
“When I went to the house, people I spoke with signed the documents. I’m not looking to see if they got the right name. I’m just looking for signatures,” Allen said.
Allen said the sitting sheriff is working to damage his name before the upcoming election.
“Intimidation, influence. With my dignity, I wouldn’t do anything like this,” Allen said.
Hamp disagreed.
“They take advantage of people like this, and it’s criminal and something needs to be done about it,” Hamp said.
The sheriff said he is going to the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office.
Meanwhile, Allen said he is getting a lawyer to defend his name and character.
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