Opinion ID: 3049934
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Bribes of Chandler and Ellis

Text: The Pugh, Rast, and Dougherty defendants also gave, at no charge, goods, 15 After McNair’s retirement, PUGH paid George Word $44,192.75 in the first half of October 2001, and, at Yessick’s instruction, internally charged the expense to miscellaneous jobs/construction materials. McNair told George Word that FWDE would make the next payment. On October 24, 2001, after FWDE’s bookkeeper Rick Brinson saw Dougherty speaking with McNair in FWDE’s parking lot, Dougherty asked the bookkeeper to write a $50,000 check to a construction company. About 20 to 30 minutes later, George Word’s $50,000 invoice, dated a day earlier, arrived by fax. The bookkeeper wrote the check, gave it to Dougherty, and made an extra copy of the paperwork and kept it at home. Upon being subpoenaed for these records later, the bookkeeper searched FWDE’s records, but could not find the invoice. The only copy he found was the extra one he kept at home. 16 After McNair’s retirement, on May 14 and 15, 2001, PUGH, FWDE, and Bobby Rast each gave McNair a check for $5,000 (totaling $15,000). Bobby Rast’s check was for a “retirement gift” and FWDE’s was for a “motor home.” 23 services, labor, materials, and other things of value to (1) JCESD Assistant Director Chandler, and (2) JCESD Engineer and PRC Director Ellis. At a lunch, PUGH’s President Yessick offered to landscape Chandler’s home. Chandler at first refused, but weeks later Yessick offered again, and Chandler accepted. PUGH provided crews and paid for the materials for the extensive landscaping, including grading, drainage work, and new sod, as well as construction of a patio, walkway, and retaining walls. Chandler paid nothing for that work. In October 2001, Yessick arranged and paid for a $610 condo rental for the Chandler family vacation at the Pelican Beach Resort in Destin, Florida.17 Chandler asked for, and PUGH delivered, a load of sand for Chandler’s house for free. In the spring of 2002, Chandler asked Bobby Rast to help with his expenses for a trip to Europe to attend technical conferences. Ellis planned to attend too. At RAST’s office, Bobby Rast gave Chandler an envelope containing $5,000 in cash and told Chandler to split the money with Ellis. Chandler had expected $250 to $500 and was “uncomfortable and thought about giving it back, but [he] didn’t.” 17 The government also presented evidence that in April 2000, PUGH’s Yessick invited Chandler on a fishing trip to Bienville Plantation in Florida, where the trip was paid for by PUGH. Grady Pugh arranged to have Yessick and Chandler fly to Florida in the PUGH company’s airplane. The jury acquitted PUGH and Yessick on Count 70, which referenced this trip. 24 Instead, Chandler “eventually gave half” to Ellis.18 The Dougherty defendants also gave Chandler tickets to Disney World and a trip to San Antonio.