Pastor Mitzi Bickers, a political consultant who helped Kasim Reed win his first run for mayor in 2009, faced a dozen felony counts in her federal trial. Though Bickers had no direct role in contracting, she was accused of accepting some $2 million in bribes to help contractors Elvin “E.R.” Mitchell Jr. and Charles P. Richards Jr. win some $17 million in snow removal, bridge repair and sidewalk contracts from the city of Atlanta. Prosecutors allege she used her influence and contacts within the city to help steer business to the contractors when she worked as director of human services from 2010 to 2013 and after she left her City Hall job, including by paying bribes to other officials.
The jury verdict for each county in the indictment:
Count 1: Guilty: Conspiracy to commit bribery
Starting about 2010 to May 2013, Bickers allegedly conspired with Mitchell and Richards, accepting bribes from the contractors to represent their businesses obtain lucrative city contracts. The period of time is when Bickers worked for the Reed administration as director of human services.
Count 2: Not Guilty: Conspiracy to commit bribery
From May 2013 to sometime in or about 2015, during a period of time after Bickers left her city job, Bickers allegedly continued the conspiracy, representing the interests of Mitchell and Richards to steer contracts. This conduct included bribing at least one city of Atlanta official.
Count 3: Not Guilty: Bribery
In March or April 2014, Bickers assisted Tony Yarber in his campaign for mayor of the city of Jackson, Mississippi. Bickers, Mitchell, Richards and others donated to Yarber’s campaign. Bickers provided food, airfare, hotels, luxury car service, entertainment and campaign services to Yarber and others to allegedly influence contracts, including portions of a waterworks contract and one for a convention center hotel. But Bickers was not successful in winning those contracts.
Counts 4-6: Guilty: Money laundering
These three counts relate to purchases by Bickers of a 2014 GMC Acadia Denali SUV and four jet skis using funds allegedly derived from bribe payments made by Mitchell to Bickers and her companies. The SUV purchase was made in May 2014 and the watercraft were purchased in two transactions in May and July of that year.
Counts 7-10: Guilty: Wire fraud
Prosecutors allege that if Bickers had disclosed her earnings from the two city contractors, the city would have ended her employment. Because Bickers filed ethics disclosures under penalty of perjury that did not disclose this outside income, prosecutors allege Bickers induced the city to continue paying her salary. Four direct deposit transactions in 2013 constitute the four wire fraud counts.
Count 11: Not Guilty: Tampering with a witness or informant
Bickers allegedly tried to convince Mitchell to give false information to federal authorities to keep the alleged scheme concealed after Mitchell was contacted by the FBI for an interview in 2015.
Count 12: Guilty: Filing False Tax Returns
Bickers claimed only about $58,000 in total income in 2011 when she allegedly knew she collected hundreds of thousands of dollars more in income from the alleged bribery scheme.
Sources: The federal indictment of Mitzi Bickers and evidence presented in U.S. District Court.
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