Jay Paul Gumm

Born in Durant, Oklahoma, Gumm received his bachelor's degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. He was a realtor and consultant.[1] Prior to being elected to the Oklahoma Senate, Gumm was executive director of the Durant Area Chamber of Commerce.

Gumm served as a Democratic member of the Oklahoma Senate representing District 6 (which includes all of Bryan, Johnston and Marshall counties and parts of Atoka and Coal Counties) from 2002 through 2010.[2] In 2010, Gumm was defeated in a re-election bid to Josh Brecheen.

Gumm left Oklahoma to work as executive director of the Stone County Economic Development Partnership in Stone County, Mississippi.[3]

On August 16, 2013, Gumm was arrested and charged with embezzling more than $24,000 from the Stone County Economic Partnership.[4] On January 30, 2014, Gumm was indicted on one count of felony embezzlement and served by OSA Special Agents and Stone County Deputies. Officials say the various instances of embezzlement included Gumm depositing $11,750.00 into his personal account; fraudulently withholding a $2,000.00 personal check that was shown as deposited; depositing a $500.00 fraudulent check into his personal account from a Christmas party; and depositing an $8,060.00 amount from six checks with forged signatures.[5] In February 2016, Gumm agreed to a plea deal in which he would spend two years on probation for embezzlement charges and pay $8,900 to the Mississippi Economic Development Partnership.[6] He was allowed to accept an Alford plea, which lets a defendant plead guilty while maintaining he's innocent, by signing a court document in which he "admits it is in his best interest to enter his plea and that a reasonable jury could find him guilty." Gumm asked for non-adjudication, which could have wiped out his felony charge but Circuit Judge Roger Clark instead sentenced him as a felon.[7]

• Stone County Economic Development Partnership