Legal Issues

Businessman Jeff Jafari Pleads Guilty to Bribing Atlanta Officials

Businessman Jeff Jafari Pleads Guilty to Bribing Atlanta Officials

Last year, former City of Atlanta Commissioner of Watershed Management was convicted of accepting bribes following an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI

Jo Ann Macrina, who was living in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida at the time of her arrest, previously worked for the City of Atlanta, Georgia between 2011 and 2016. During that time, Macrina steered city business worth hundreds of millions of dollars to a specific contracting company, who paid her off with bribes.

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Credit: Getty Images

According to an official release from the IRS, Macrina accepted "cash, luxury items [including $10,000 in jewelry], and the promise of a future job" from the contractor, PRAD Group. She specifically provided the firm's owner, Lohrasb "Jeff" Jafari with "access to confidential information and preferential treatment with respect to City of Atlanta projects."

Now, Jafari has pleaded guilty to his part in the scam. 

A new IRS release notes that the Georgia-based businessman's plea included admitting to paying bribe money to two City of Atlanta officials, including Macrina, and to paying bribes to a former Dekalb County official in an attempt to obtain county contracts.

Jafari also confirmed that he evaded more than $1.5 million in taxes owed to the IRS.

Court documents indicate that in February 2017, one specific incident took place. Jafari became aware of the federal investigation into his bribe payments. He ultimately confronted Adam Smith, one of the officials he bribed, at City Hall.

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Photographer: dowell/Getty Images

Jafari attempted to coerce Smith into lying to the FBI about the bribe money.

James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office, spoke out, saying, ""Jafari bribed city government officials to avoid fair competition in bidding for government contracts."

He continued, "Greed consumed Mr. Jafari, after being awarded the government contracts, he willfully failed to file tax returns reporting the income and pay the appropriate taxes undermining the American tax system."

"Contractors and the public deserve a fair and impartial government procurement process," U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan added. "For years, Jeff Jafari corrupted, and attempted to corrupt, those processes in the City of Atlanta and DeKalb County by paying tens of thousands of dollars in bribe payments to several high-ranking government officials. Not surprisingly, after illegally obtaining city contracts he never paid a dime of personal income tax on millions of dollars he earned."

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Credit: Getty Images

Jafari's sentencing date has not been publicly confirmed.

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Rebekah Barton

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