GUILTY PLEA TAKEN IN SEWER CASE

BIRMINGHAM, AL - RONALD K. WILSON and his Company, CIVIL ENGINEERING DESIGN SERVICES pled guilty late yesterday in U.S. District Court, each to one count of mail fraud.

WILSON devised a scheme to defraud Jefferson County while he was employed as Chief Engineer of the Jefferson County Environmental Services Department. This scheme awarded no-bid engineering contacts to WILSON and his Company, CIVIL ENGINEERING DESIGN SERVICES.

“Ronald Wilson admits his part in the scheme to defraud Jefferson County in the award of no-bid contracts,” states U.S. Attorney Alice H. Martin. “We will continue to work on behalf of the citizens of Jefferson County to ensure honesty and integrity in government by enforcing the criminal laws against public corruption and schemes of this sort,” adds U.S. Attorney Martin.

WILSON who could receive a maximum of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, has provided substantial assistance to the U.S. Government. A sentencing date has not been set by the Court at this time. WILSON has, in his plea agreement, agreed to pay a fine of $250,000. The actual loss to Jefferson County by WILSON is $164,500. The trial of this matter was scheduled to begin Monday, July 24th. With WILSON’s guilty plea that trial has been joined with Jack Swann, Jefferson County’s former environmental services director and two other defendants, Pat Dougherty and Dougherty Engineering. That trial is scheduled for September 2006.

Further, in the factual basis of WILSON’s plea agreement Wilson admits to being a participant in the scheme and aided and abetted the other participants in the award of two no-bid contracts. Those contracts known as Tarrant Springs Trunk Sewer Replacement and Hopewell Pumping Station Design were projects that WILSON had control and supervisory responsibility as agent of the Jefferson County Environmental Services Department. In spite of WILSON’s duty of honest services to Jefferson County and the State of Alabama, WILSON and CIVIL ENGINEERING DESIGN SERVICES, INC caused Jefferson County to pay checks totaling more than $833,000 on the two contracts.

This case has been investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special Assistant United States Attorneys, William Dillon and Deana Wiley who are Department of Justice Trial Attorneys Antitrust Division are prosecuting this matter on behalf of the U.S. Government.