FBI, federal prosecutors level public corruption charges

On Behalf of | Jul 20, 2019 | Federal Crimes |

Chicago news media recently reported on a type of story that they have some experience with: allegations of wrongdoing in public office. As we have seen in our city, these types of public corruption accusations are often complex and politically charged.

The recent articles are not about allegations in Chicago, however, but are instead rooted in neighboring Indiana, where a sanitary district administrator and local businessmen were arrested by federal officials as part of a years-long investigation into alleged corruption in Muncie city government.

Debra Nicole “Nikki” Grigsby, the district administrator of the Muncie Sanitary District, and Tony Franklin, owner of a building design firm, were indicted on charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, making false statements to investigators and falsifying documents in a federal investigation.

In a statement, federal law enforcement officials said the arrests were part of an investigation into “the payment of kickbacks in exchange for public works projects and other corruption-related matters in Muncie.”

Grigsby is responsible for selecting contractors to work on infrastructure projects. She’s accused of steering work to Franklin’s company in exchange for kickbacks.

The assistant U.S. Attorney said that if the pair is convicted on all charges, they would each face sentences of up to 20 years in federal prisons.

FBI agents were seen removing more than a dozen boxes of documents from City Hall, the news report stated. Employees were sent home for the day while agents served search warrants.

If you believe you are under investigation in matters related to public corruption, it is in your interests to sit down and speak with a Chicago criminal defense attorney experienced in protecting rights and freedom.

 

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