Former National Guard Employee, Vendors Sentenced for Kickback Scheme

Three Georgia women have been sentenced to federal prison following guilty pleas on charges that stemmed from a kickback scheme that involved the Georgia National Guard, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday.

Raytosha Elliott, a former contracting official at the Clay National Guard Center in Marietta, awarded no-bid contracts under $5,000 to companies owned by her friends Lakeysha Ellis and Angela Thicklin in exchange for payments of 50 percent of the contract’s value. All told, Elliott awarded Ellis’ company $75,000 in contracts and awarded Thicklin’s company some $78,00 in contracts.

Instead of using the money to perform the work they were obligated to complete under the contracts, the three spent the money on travel, meals, and other personal expenses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Elliott certified the contract work had been completed in order to get payment from the National Guard.

Prior to the National Guard scheme, Ellis had served as an accountant at Baumueller-Nuermont Corporation in Atlanta and had participated in a similar scheme with Elliott and Thicklin. The scheme cost Baumueller-Nuermont Corporation around $85,000, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Elliott, of Atlanta, was sentenced to 34 months in prison and three years of probation on Monday, and must also pay $115,902 in restitution to the Georgia National Guard and $26,500 in restitution to Baumueller-Nuermont Corporation. Elliott was also ordered to pay $20,000 to a bank due to a fraudulent loan application, and must also complete 60 hours of community service.

Ellis, of Decatur, was sentenced to nine months in prison, three months of home confinement, and three years of probation. She must also pay $74,902 in restitution to the Georgia National Guard and $81,487.88 in restitution to Baumueller-Nuermont Corporation.

Thicklin, of Atlanta, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and three years of probation on Tuesday. She must also pay $78,640 in restitution to the Georgia National Guard.

“The sentencing of these individuals to federal prison will not only hold them accountable for their greed based criminal conduct, but will also send a clear message to others that might consider a similar scheme. The FBI will continue to work with its various law enforcement partners to ensure that those individuals engaged in these types of activities are identified, investigated and presented for federal prosecution,” said J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office.