Wednesday, July 5, 2023

Defendants Alleged to Have Defrauded State of Georgia

Decatur, Ga.- DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announces four people have been indicted on multiple charges in connection with an alleged scheme to steal money from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs through fraudulent contracts. 

Corey Alston, 45, Toyao Andrews, 49, Quinton Tate, 41, and Shawn Williams, 60, were indicted June 27 by a DeKalb County Grand Jury on charges of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, Conspiracy to Defraud the State, False Statements/Concealment, Theft by Deception, three counts of Theft by Taking, six counts of Theft by Receiving and six counts of Bribery.  

According to the preliminary investigation, Defendant Williams and Defendant Andrews, who both worked for the DCA at the time, conspired to defraud the agency by approving a contract for cleaning services at a DCA satellite office with a company owned by Andrews.   The DCA paid more than $64,000 to the cleaning company from 2017 to 2019, even though the office already had cleaning services provided by the building’s landlord.

In 2019, Defendant Alston learned the DCA was looking for a vendor to develop an online tool for the agency.  When the state rejected his company’s request to be an authorized vendor, Defendants Alston, Andrews, and Tate agreed to use Tate’s company instead. 

Defendant Andrews then allegedly submitted invoices from Tate’s company for the online product totaling $120,000.  DCA leadership paid the invoices after Defendant Andrews and Defendant Williams told them the web service was completed and in use, though the online tool was never created. 

“The former state employees named in this indictment were supposed to help low-income Georgians find safe, affordable housing.  Instead, they allegedly used their positions to enrich themselves,” said District Attorney Sherry Boston.  “Anyone who violates the public’s trust and takes taxpayer dollars as their own will be held accountable and brought to justice.”   

The Georgia Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.  

The case is assigned to DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Courtney Johnson.  An arraignment is currently scheduled for August 7, 2023.