2 plead guilty to federal bribery charges against city

Published 12:00 am Friday, June 14, 2002

[06/14/02]A former Vicksburg employee and the former manager of a city supplier pleaded guilty to federal charges of bribery in U.S. District Court here Thursday.

Charles Don Robinson, 57, of Vicksburg and Marian Evon Leigh, 64, of Brandon will also have to make combined restitution to the city in the amount of $82,000 and face sentencing in October.

The charges were the result of nearly two years of investigation by the State Auditor’s Office, Vicksburg police and the FBI.

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Robinson, a city employee for 18 years, had been the superintendent of the water main department. In the plea, he admitted receiving $5,678 worth of equipment from Consolidated Pipe using false invoices billed to the public treasury. Leigh, who had been the manager of the company’s Jackson branch, admitted receiving or helping employees of the city receive $50,574 worth of equipment.

“This was a complicated case to defraud the taxpayers of Vicksburg,” said Pete Smith of the State Auditor’s Office.

The state part of the investigation of the city and Consolidated Pipe began after discrepancies were discovered on invoices from the company that supplies water and gas plumbing and valves. The city did about $300,000 worth of business with the company between April 1999 and April 2000 when the investigation began.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Dowdy said investigators believe the fraud against the city began as far back as 1993.

“This was not an easy case to put together and a ton of credit goes to the investigators,” Dowdy said.

Over the years, Robinson, Leigh and the late Raiford “Junior” Wigley, former superintendent of the gas department, received flatbed trailers, heaters, shotguns, mobile cranes, water heaters, well pumps and other items all charged to the city. The items were billed from Consolidated Pipe as pipe and valves.

Wigley died in 2000, and Dowdy said no one else is suspected in the investigation.

“As far as we’re concerned, the criminal investigation is concluded,” Dowdy said.

Robinson and Leigh were charged on May 23 and surrendered a few days later. Robinson was suspended from the city and resigned June 1.

Sentencing for Robinson and Leigh will be Oct. 7. They each face up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.