Former Homewood Finance Director, James “Jim” Smith, has pleaded guilty to embezzling funds from the city of Homewood, Alabama. Smith, who served as the finance director from 2014 to 2022, admitted to stealing over $1.5 million from the city’s coffers. The embezzlement occurred over an eight-year period, with Smith using the stolen funds for personal expenses, including luxury items and travel. The investigation into Smith’s activities began in 2022 after the city’s new finance director discovered discrepancies in the financial records. Smith’s guilty plea includes a deal with prosecutors, which could result in a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The city of Homewood has already begun the process of recovering the stolen funds and is working to implement new financial controls to prevent similar incidents in the future.