Federal prosecutors are charging Atlanta businessman Lohrasb “Jeff” Jafari with another accusation of witness tampering. The new charge comes one year after that witness testified in court that a former City Hall executive participated in Jafari’s alleged pay-to-play scheme.
Jafari initially received a 51-count indictment from prosecutors in 2019 for allegedly committing bribery, tax evasion, and money laundering, among other charges. A federal grand jury in February returned a third superseding indictment that realleges the previous allegations and the new charge for a total 53-count indictment.
The new charge is related to the previous superseding indictment in which Jafari allegedly gave former Atlanta Watershed Commissioner Jo Ann Macrina a job offer, $10,000, jewelry, a luxury Dubai resort room, and landscaping work at her home in 2016 in exchange for city contracts.
Jafari’s defense attorney, Steve Sadow, said they’re fighting the charges.
“We have pled not guilty to all charges, including allegations regarding Ms. Macrina, and are preparing for trial,” said Sadow.
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Jafari, a former executive vice president of PRAD Group, was a longtime contractor with Atlanta and a major campaign contributor to various city politicians. He allegedly tried to corruptly persuade a witness to lie to the police about his bribes to Macrina, according to the new indictment.
The indictment says Jafari told a witness, identified only by initials F.S., to falsely tell federal law enforcement officers that the items given to Macrina were actually given to and purchased for Jafari, his relatives or others.
In federal court last October, PRAD employee Ferra Sabooni testified at Macrina’s trial that Jafari told Sabooni to make Macrina “very happy.” Sabooni said she later met Macrina in Dubai and bought the city executive jewelry, a room at Dubai’s Atlantis, The Palm hotel, and an upgraded first-class flight home, among other items.
Sabooni testified that Jafari eventually reimbursed her with a check. In February, Macrina received four and a half years in prison for her participation in the scheme.
Jafari is also accused of paying more than $40,000 in bribes to Atlanta’s former chief purchasing officer, Adam Smith. Smith was sentenced to 27 months in jail in 2018 after he admitted to taking at least $44,000 in bribes. Jafari is accused of pay-to-play contracting in DeKalb County, as well.
Jafari is expected to appear before U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones on May 2 after the attorneys for both sides deliberated over the initial April 3 date. The jurors in the trial are expected in court May 1 to complete questionnaires.
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