After the previous chief monetary officer for Atlanta, accused of racking up large expenses on his metropolis bank card, misplaced his attraction on the Georgia Supreme Court docket, SureTec Insurance coverage Co. has despatched a test to the Metropolis of Atlanta for nearly $84,500.
The Atlanta Journal-Structure reported that former CFO Jim Beard had been accused of constructing greater than $150,000 in improper expenses to his metropolis bank card from 2014 to 2018. A metropolis governing board discovered that a part of that was really associated to metropolis enterprise, however mentioned Beard nonetheless owed about $100,000.
Beard, who now faces a federal fraud indictment, appealed the bank card expenses ruling all the best way to the state’s highest courtroom, however misplaced at each step, in line with information stories. Houston-based SureTec, which operates in all 50 states, held the surety bond and paid the $84,500 as a part of what Beard owed in restitution. The Atlanta Ethics Division doesn’t anticipate to gather any extra, officers mentioned.
“We don’t anticipate amassing the remaining $18,485 in sanctions and the Beard matter is hereby now closed,” Atlanta Ethics Officer Jabu Sengova mentioned in an electronic mail to the newspaper. He famous that the cost is likely one of the largest the division has collected on an ethics sanction.
The investigation into Beard’s bank card expenses started after the Journal-Structure and Channel 2 TV information reported in 2018 that Beard, then-Mayor Kasim Reed and different members of Reed’s administration had spent a whole bunch of 1000’s of {dollars} on luxurious lodges, airfaire and fancy eating places around the globe.
Federal investigators at the moment are within the midst of a multi-year investigation into corruption at Metropolis Corridor. Beard has pleaded not responsible to federal fraud and weapons expenses. Federal prosecutors have mentioned that, amongst different improper actions, Beard ordered two custom-built machine weapons to be delivered to Atlanta Metropolis Corridor. He took possession of the machine weapons for his private use – despite the fact that it was unlawful for the machine weapons to be possessed by anybody aside from legislation enforcement and army personnel, in line with the U.S. Legal professional’s workplace.
Beard then had the Metropolis of Atlanta problem a $2,642 test to pay for the machine weapons. In reference to the acquisition, Beard accomplished and submitted a U.S. Division of the Treasury tax exemption kind, through which he falsely licensed that the machine weapons have been for the unique use of the Atlanta Police Division, prosecutors mentioned in a information launch.
Reed left the mayor’s workplace in 2018 after two phrases. He sought election once more in 2021 however positioned third within the polling.
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