Manipulating construction contracts landed two former DeKalb County school employees in prison.

Rhonda Cook wrote for the AJC 9 December 2013, Former DeKalb schools COO gets 15 years: Judge rejects former superintendent Crawford Lewis’ deal for no jail time,

Prosecutors allege Reid sent work to her husband by presenting new work at Columbia as an extension of what he was already contracted to do and then Pope allegedly overcharged the district.

Prosecutors also contend Pope helped a contractor and another architect, both unindicted co-conspirators, adjust their proposals for the McNair renovations to win the contract. Pope later was the architect, working in the background, on renovations at the McNair Elementary School Cluster.

Reid also was convicted of theft for having school district workers repair her county-issued Ford Explorer just before she bought it for one-third its value. The SUV was eventually returned after an investigation of the purchase began.

-jsq

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