Ex-MARTA Exec Sentenced To Prison In $520K Fraud Scheme

ATLANTA -- Jhonnita L. Williams, a former department administrator MARTA, has been sentenced for her part in a false-invoice scheme that resulted in the agency paying more than $520,000 for maintenance projects where no worked was actually performed. According to prosecutors, Williams worked for MARTA from from 1999 to 2017. From 2010 to 2017, she worked as an assistant and department administrator for Joseph 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 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 Williams. After being paid, all three of the vendors funneled most of the money received from MARTA back to Erves and Williams.

Williams used her portion on the money to pay various personal expenses, including buying a 3,000-square-foot home.

Erves is serving sentenced to two years and nine months in federal prison, and has been ordered to pay $522,825.45 in restitution. Ferrell Williams is serving eight months in federal prison, and paying back $41,539.10 in restitution.

Williams had pled guilty to one count of conspiratorial federal program theft and has been sentenced to one year, four months in prison, three years of supervised released, and ordered to pay $522,825.45 in restitution.

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