Investigations
Investigations

Fulton DA won't prosecute mystery man who bilked federal agency, report says

Fulton County Jail

Credit: Lois Norder

Credit: Lois Norder

Fulton County Jail
By Lois Norder
Feb 7, 2017

This just in: The federal Bureau of Land Management screwed up: It paid a vendor $20,720 to deliver eight backup power supply units. But it made the payment after receiving only one.

Then BLM couldn't contact the vendor to either collect the other seven units or get a refund. So it called in the watchdog of the U.S. Department of the Interior to investigate.

The investigator eventually found the vendor: He was in Fulton County Jail, being held on unrelated fraud charges. But he wouldn't talk, according to a summary of the investigator's report issued Tuesday.

Investigators also got turned down by the District Attorney's Office in Atlanta and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Phoenix when they were asked to prosecute.

Who was the vendor? Why was the case turned down? The investigator's summary doesn't say.  If you can shed light on this mystery case, message us!

About the Author

Norder is Senior Editor for Investigations at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The investigative reporters she directs work to independently examine the workings of government and other powerful institutions and individuals. Their goal is to help improve the lives of Georgians.

Follow Lois Norder on twitter
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