Charges dropped against three defendants in MDE kickback scheme

The U.S. District Court docket has dismissed all fees towards three co-defendants in a kickback conspiracy involving cash from the Mississippi Division of Schooling. Fees towards the previous MDE worker and lead defendant are nonetheless pending.

A 2020 federal lawsuit alleges David Hunt and Lambert Martin have been conspirators in a scheme to improperly grant state contracts. Based on the lawsuit, Cerissa Neal, a former MDE worker and the principle defendant whose fees are nonetheless pending, conspired to separate contract requests from one contract into smaller contracts with a view to keep away from the required aggressive bidding course of. She then allegedly awarded the contract to her co-defendants’ companies at an inflated value.

Hunt and Martin had their fees dismissed on July 26, based on court docket paperwork. Errol Harmon, who was accused of receiving and paying kickbacks from the inflated contracts, has additionally had all fees towards him dismissed. 

Fees towards Joseph Kyles, Neal’s closing co-defendant, are nonetheless pending. 

READ MORE: Former MDE director indicted in contract kickback conspiracy

Hunt, the proprietor of Doc Imaging and Hunt Providers in Jackson, Tenn., instructed Mississippi As we speak in 2020 he employed Kyles as a guide to assist his doc administration firm discover enterprise over a three-year interval. He stated on the time he had all of his receipts and didn’t know why he’d been charged.

“On the Authorities’s request, the USA District Court docket for the Southern District of Mississippi dismissed all fees towards David Hunt,” stated his legal professional Michael Dawkins in an announcement. “This dismissal towards Mr. Hunt solidifies his popularity as an distinctive father, husband and neighborhood chief, and is in keeping with what Mr. Hunt has asserted all alongside: that he’s not responsible of the wrongdoing with which he was charged. Mr. Hunt is grateful to be restored to his rightful place locally.”

Jacinta Corridor, the legal professional for Martin, stated that Martin had additionally employed Kyles as a guide to increase his enterprise in Mississippi. Martin had maintained that he was not at fault for the reason that unique indictment in 2020. 

“After reviewing the proof with Mr. Martin and the Division of Justice, they agreed that he was not at fault in the best way that they initially thought,” Corridor stated. 

Corridor described Martin as “ecstatic” that the fees have been dismissed. 

Each Neal and Kyles initially pled not responsible, and their jury trial has been repeatedly postponed. Court docket paperwork present it’s at the moment scheduled for Sept. 6. 

Attorneys for Neal and Kyles couldn’t be reached by the point of publication.