The mayor of a small town made famous by Hurricane Katrina has been arrested for embezzlement.

Mayor Tommy Longo of Waveland, MS gained national exposure in the aftermath of Katrina five years ago.  The small town was left in ruins following the storm, with over 90 percent of its homes destroyed.

Waveland police acted on a warrant for the mayor’s arrest last week.  Longo is accused of using his city issued gas card to fuel his private vehicle.  The State Auditor claims that Longo used a little over $1,000 for personal use over a several year long period of time.

“There is no talk or grounds of removing Mayor Longo from his job,” Gary Yarborough said in a statement. “The Mayor is entitled to his own defense.”

“Although this embezzlement is not a large sum of money, I am committed to holding any government employee accountable to the taxpayers of Mississippi for embezzlement and fraud,” State Auditor Stacey Pickering told the Sun Herald newspaper. “An elected official must be held to the highest standard and using government funds for personal use will not be tolerated. Fuelman purchases have been scrutinized across the State because of the high risk of fraud, and our agents continue to look into allegations of embezzlement involving these purchases.”

Mississippi state law does not require jailtime for embezzlement that is under $10,000.

Longo is not the only Southern Mississippi mayor to be arrested.  Gulfport Mayor Gregory Brent Warr was arrested last year for insurance fraud related to the hurricane.  Prior to that, former Biloxi Mayor Pete Halat was arrested for his involvement in the murder of a federal judge.