Three found innocent of government bid rigging

SAVANNAH - Three men accused of steering $67,000 in government contracts to a construction company have been found innocent by a federal jury. <br> <br> William D. Bullard, 55, of Hahira, owner of Bullard Construction Co., and General Services Administration employees Billy Dixon and John A. Kolar were acquitted Tuesday of charges that they conspired to bypass GSA&#39;s bidding process. The contracts involved a room renovation and paneling work at a Savannah federal courthouse, roof repairs at a Dublin federal courthouse and woodwork at the U.S. attorney&#39;s office in Savannah. <br> <br> A February 2001 indictment said Dixon, 64, a GSA field manager from Tybee Island, and GSA specialist Kolar, 44, of Brooklet awarded the work to Bullard&#39;s company from 1996 to 2000 by adding fake bidders&#39; names to GSA forms. <br> <br> The government showed that Dixon and Kolar never sought bids for the contracts in question, but jurors apparently agreed with the defense argument that bids were not required for the work.