Ex-MARTA Exec Defrauds Transit Agency Of More Than $500K

ATLANTA, GA – A former MARTA executive has pled guilty to participating in a false-invoice scheme that resulted in MARTA paying more than $520,000 for maintenance projects where no worked was actually performed. Jhonnita L. Williams is a former department administrator who was indicted back on July 24, 2018, on seven counts. On Wednesday, she pled guilty to one count of conspiratorial federal program theft and is awaiting sentencing.

“MARTA trusted Williams to use and protect taxpayer dollars effectively and responsibly,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Her participation in a half of million dollar theft of MARTA funds demonstrates that she sold the public’s trust for self-enrichment.”

“Williams circumvented proper government procedures and dipped into taxpayers’ money to subsidize her own personal greed,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Public corruption is one of the FBI’s top priorities, and we are committed to holding accountable those who choose to abuse their positions of trust.”

Williams worked for MARTA from 1999 to 2017. From 2010 to 2017, Williams worked as an assistant and department administrator for Joseph J. Erves. During most of the conspiracy, Erves served as MARTA’s senior director of operations and oversaw the maintenance of all of its buses and rail cars.

From approximately June 2010 to December 2016, Williams and Erves had more than 40 fake invoices prepared on behalf of three vendors for MARTA maintenance projects for which no work was performed. Williams and Erves used the false invoices as bases to authorize payments to the three vendors – including fake invoices submitted by a business owned by Ferrell Williams (who was romantically involved with Jhonnita Williams). After being paid, the all three of the vendors funneled most of the money received from MARTA back to Erves and Williams. In total, MARTA paid the three vendors more than $520,000 for maintenance projects where no worked was actually performed.

Williams used the money to pay for various personal expenses, including the financing and purchase of an approximately 3,000 square foot single-family home with four bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms.

Erves has already pled guilty to federal program theft. He was sentenced to two years and nine months in federal prison, and was ordered to pay $522,825 in restitution.

On March 29, 2018, Ferrell Williams pled guilty to conspiring to commit federal program theft. He was sentenced to eight months in federal prison, and was ordered to pay $41,539 in restitution.

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