Businessman Pleads Guilty to Bribing Gwinnett County Commissioner

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GwinnettCounty Businessman Bribed Gwinnett County Commissioner in 2009 for Approval ofa Waste Transfer Station
ATLANTA—Mark Gary, 39, of Duluth,pleaded guilty today in federal district court to a charge of bribing aGwinnett County Commissioner in 2009 to secure approval of a proposed wastetransfer station in which he held a personal stake.
“Today’s guilty plea shows that payingoff a public official is a losing bet,” said United States Attorney SallyQuillian Yates. “Gwinnett County’s approval of competing real estatedevelopments is not a game in which votes are for sale to the highest bidder.We will continue to aggressively pursue business people who corrupt the systemby bribing public officials.”
Ricky Maxwell, Acting Special Agent inCharge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated, “This case illustrates that those whoentice or bribe public officials will quickly find themselves as defendants ina public corruption investigation and prosecution. Public corruption continuesto be a high priority investigative matter and the FBI remains committed toensuring that such actions as Mr. Gary’s are brought forward for prosecution.”
According to United States AttorneyYates, the charges and other information presented in court, Mark Gary is alocal Gwinnett County businessman. In or about October 2008, Gary sought todevelop a $4 million solid waste transfer station, which served as a waystation in the trash collection process, consolidating trash from haulers forshipment to more distant landfills. Gary submitted the necessary application toobtain the requisite county approvals and permits, which would require approvalby the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners.
Shirley Lasseter was elected to theGwinnett County Board of Commissioners as the District 1 representative in thefall of 2008 and took office in January 2009. Gary worked to help get Lasseterelected as a county commissioner. Almost immediately after taking office,Lasseter appointed Gary to the Gwinnett County Planning Commission.
In March or April 2009, Gary spoke withLasseter and her son, John Fanning, about Gary’s pending application to allowdevelopment of a solid waste transfer station. Gary offered money to Lasseterand Fanning, who discussed amounts with Gary of as much as $100,000, inexchange for Lasseter’s commission vote to approve the pending application.Given her public position and to avoid any scrutiny, Lasseter directed Gary tospeak with and to provide the money to Fanning.
Gary’s permit application came beforethe commission for approval on April 28, 2009. Consistent with her agreementwith Gary, Lasseter voted to approve the development. Several months later,Gary lived up to his end of the bargain. In June 2009, Gary paid Fanning$30,000. Gary paid this amount by giving Fanning $30,000 worth of chips at anout-of-state casino.
Gary was charged in a criminal informationon September 5, 2012, with corruptly agreeing to pay a bribe to Lasseter andFanning. Gary pleaded guilty and could receive a maximum sentence of 10 yearsin prison and a fine of up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentence, thecourt will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are notbinding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 3,2013, before United States District Judge Charles A. Pannell, Jr.
This case is being investigated byspecial agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney DouglasW. Gilfillan is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contactthe U.S. Attorney’s Public Information Office at USAGAN.Pressemails@usdoj.govor (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the homepage for the U.S.Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia iswww.justice.gov/usao/gan.