Former Atlanta Official Indicted on Bribery Charges
Al Such / WABE
A federal grand jury has indicted a former Atlanta city official in the continuing corruption investigation at City Hall.
Mitzi Bickers, who was the director of the city’s Department of Human Services under former Mayor Kasim Reed, faces 11 counts including conspiring to commit bribery, money-laundering and tax fraud. Prosecutors say she took more than $2 million in bribes from city contractors.
Bickers pleaded not guilty Thursday. Three others have already pleaded guilty in the case – the city’s former procurement chief and two city contractors.
At a press conference Thursday, U.S. Attorney BJay Pak told others who are involved in the case to come forward to officials.
“There’s a very small window of opportunity for you to help yourself in accepting full responsibility for being part of this conspiracy and with cooperating with the government. That is the only way you could assure that you could minimize your criminal exposure,” Pak said.
Pak said the investigation is ongoing.
“Our investigation and prosecution into this matter is continuing and it’ll continue with or without you — your time is now,” he said.
Bickers helped Reed get elected in 2009 and then ran Human Services department for three years. Her duties included running city programs to help the homeless and distributing federal and local funding to homeless shelters.
Bickers’ city salary was $57,000. Prosecutors say she used the bribes to fund a lavish lifestyle, including the purchase of a $775,000 home in suburban Atlanta, vacations and a $46,000 Denali luxury SUV.
“Bickers conspired to enrich herself and others by soliciting and accepting payments directly and indirectly from Mitchell and Richards and their companies in exchange for her agreement to represent their businesses and to obtain lucrative City of Atlanta contracts for their companies through bribery,” the indictment stated.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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