As she continued to shake down the private contractor, DeKalb County public works employee Neacacha Joyner got herself into deeper trouble.
By the time she had collected $9,500 in bribes, the FBI had long secured the cooperation of the contractor and built a solid case against Joyner for exploiting her position for personal gain. On Thursday, standing before a federal judge, Joyner pleaded guilty to a federal extortion charge. She is to be sentenced at a later date.
Joyner had been assigned to inspect a $1.4 million, federally funded DeKalb project to build sidewalks near the intersection of South Hairston and Wesley Chapel roads. Beginning in April 2011, Joyner began demanding payments from a private contractor in a "pay-to-play scheme," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Davis said during the plea hearing.
The contractor, whose name has not been disclosed, almost immediately turned to federal authorities about the shakedown and began cooperating with the investigation. Davis described the contractor as a "good Samaritan, a confidential source."
Brian Lamkin, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Atlanta office, praised the contractor's cooperation. "Today's guilty plea illustrates the need for, and positive results of, public involvement in combating public corruption," he said.
Joyner, 40, told U.S. District Judge Richard Story that she had no authority to stop the sidewalk construction project. But she acknowledged receiving the illegal payoffs.
"He would benefit, I would benefit," she said.
An affidavit previously filed by an FBI agent said Joyner had contacted the contractor as early as September 2010 and asked to borrow $500 to help pay her mortgage. The contractor lent her the money, the agent said.
In early April 2011, the affidavit said, Joyner told the contractor, "Let me think like a crook. I think you're a crook, too. I need $18,000."
By the end of that month, the contractor gave Joyner a $2,500 bribe and the following month gave her two separate $2,000 payoffs, Davis said.
Last June, Joyner asked for another $3,000 and instructed the contractor to bill the county for that amount to remove and relocate four fire hydrants -- even though the work was not going to be done, Davis said. The contractor, working with the FBI, submitted the fraudulent bills and soon met with Joyner and gave her $3,000.
Fidelis Ogbu, a former engineering supervisor for the DeKalb County Department of Public Works, was named in the same indictment as Joyner's. Ogbu, 59, pleaded guilty last month to extortion. He will be sentenced at a later date.
About the Author
