FORMER MEMBER OF ALABAMA FIRE COLLEGE FOUNDATION SENTENCED IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT

BIRMINGHAM, AL - ROBERT LLOYD NIX, 69, a former member of Alabama Fire Fighters' Personnel Standards and Training Commission and a former member of the Board of the Fire College Foundation and its treasurer, was sentenced to 31 months in prison for three federal felony counts involving abuse of public funds related to the Alabama Fire College. In addition to his term of imprisonment, the Court ordered that NIX forfeit $328,000 in criminal proceeds and pay a special assessment fee of $200. NIX was ordered to begin serving his sentence on April 1, 2008.

"For five years Robert Nix conspired to fleece the Alabama Fire College Foundation while padding his own pockets," states United States Attorney Alice H. Martin. "Nix admitted that he conspired with others to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Alabama Fire College and from a not-for-profit foundation which was intended to sponsor firefighter training and further the mission of the Alabama Fire College. The investigation by the North Alabama Joint Public Corruption Task Force will continue with the goal of full accountability for illegal actions that have occurred," adds U.S. Attorney Martin.

FBI Special Agent in Charge, Carmen Adams stated "Public corruption is a betrayal of the public's sacred trust. It erodes public confidence and undermines the strength of our democracy. Unchecked, it threatens our government and our way of life."
The criminal information charged a conspiracy to commit theft involving programs receiving federal funds and laundering of monetary instruments. Count two charged a conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Count three sought the forfeiture of criminal proceeds in the amount of $328,000.

Richard J. Minor, District Attorney in the Thirtieth Judicial Circuit of St. Clair County stated that "The sentence imposed today upon the defendant serves notice that the abuse of public funds is no way for public officials to do business on behalf of the public they serve. With today's sentence, public officials are reminded that there are severe consequences for their illegal acts."

NIX began working at the Alabama Fire College in 1986. He reported directly to, and became personal friends with the Executive Director. The Alabama Fire College is funded by the State of Alabama, primarily through the Special Education Trust Fund. NIX was later appointed to the Alabama Fire Fighters' Personnel Standards and Training Commission, which oversees the Fire College. The Executive Director serves at the pleasure of the Commission, and he was instrumental in obtaining NIX's appointment. In 1997, the Executive Director established the Alabama Fire College Foundation as a 501(c)(3) private not-for profit foundation, with the purpose of raising money for support and scholarships to the Fire College. The Executive Director asked NIX to be on the Foundation Board; NIX became treasurer, the Executive Director of the Fire College was chairman of the Foundation Board, and the Executive Director's secretary from the Fire College also was secretary to the Foundation.

In entering his guilty plea, NIX admitted that he used Foundation money to buy items for himself, including two Harley Davidson motorcycles, an enclosed sunroom and improvements on his home, a large screen high definition television, a home theater system, a carport for his personal recreational vehicle, a deck and gazebo-covered Jacuzzi for his personal residence, and various computer related electronics. NIX admitted that he illegally received public funds from the Alabama Poison Center and the Alabama Fire College by way of fraudulent contracts. NIX further admitted that he conspired with others to spend Foundation funds for the personal benefit of officers of the Foundation and their friends, in direct contravention of the Foundation's mission. Finally, after NIX became aware that law enforcement authorities were investigating activity at the Alabama Fire College, he conspired with others to obstruct the investigation.

The information filed November 1, 2006 along with the plea agreement by NIX states that, "When confronted with the evidence of his crimes by law enforcement authorities, NIX admitted that he had committed crimes, expressed remorse at his actions, and began actively cooperating with law enforcement."

The NIX prosecution is part of a long-term investigation by the North Alabama Public Corruption Task Force which includes the Alabama Attorney General's Office, The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Alabama, the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Service. The case is being prosecuted jointly by the Alabama Attorney General's Office and the United States Attorney's Office.