Georgia Attorney General Carr announces indictment of Douglas County officials, employee and contractor

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr today announced the indictment of Douglas County Chairwoman Romona Jackson Jones, Douglas County Commissioner Henry Mitchell, Douglas County Tax Commissioner Greg Baker, former Purchasing Director Bill Peacock, and Anthony Knight, owner of S&A Express.

The indictment relates to a contract awarded to S&A Express for professional janitorial services for the Douglas County Annex Building. All defendants are charged with Conspiracy in Restraint of Free and Open Competition in Transactions.

“Those who work for the taxpayers of Georgia are expected to uphold high ethical standards and to perform their duties in an honest and transparent manner,” said Carr. “Whether an elected official or employee, anyone who breaks this trust will be held accountable for their actions. We take these allegations very seriously, and we look forward to presenting our case in court.”

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation(GBI) conducted the probe.

“The GBI continues to work for the citizens of Georgia in being an impartial investigatory agency in the investigation of suspected public corruption,” said GBI Director Mike Register. “The GBI works in coordination with other partners, such as the Attorney General, to ensure any defendants’ due process is protected while also ensuring criminal acts are prosecuted.”

The Attorney General’s Prosecution Division presented evidence to a Douglas County Grand Jury, resulting in the indictment* of all five defendants on Feb. 24, 2023. Specifically, the indictment charges each of the defendants with the following.

• 1 count of Conspiracy in Restraint of Free and Open Competition in Transactions – O.C.G.A. § 16-10-22(b)

Douglas County Chairwoman Romona Jackson Jones has also been charged with the following:

• 1 count of False Statements – O.C.G.A. § 16-10-20

According to the indictment, the accused accepted S&A Express’ contract bid after the window had closed on the   second Request for Proposal and took sealed bids, opened and reviewed the bids and added S & A’s bid, which was exactly the same as the lowest bid. The indictment also states that the contract was signed with S&A Express before the Board of Commissioners voted on whether to adopt the contract. The indictment can be found here.