Atlanta contractor charged in bribery investigation in Texas

<p>An Atlanta contractor faces fraud and conspiracy charges that accuse him of giving money and gifts to a woman who was Houston's building services director.</p><p>Authorities say Floyd Gary Thacker, 50, gave thousands of dollars in cash and gifts to Monique McGilbra, a city department head from 1999 to 2003. His company, Thacker Operating Co., was awarded a significant number of energy services contracts in Houston, the U.S. Attorney's Office said on Monday in a criminal information document.</p><p>"This is just another step in a very deliberate process to identify all those responsible for corrupting public officials," said assistant U.S. attorney Ed Gallagher.</p><p>Thacker was given a subcontract with Reliant Energy to improve the efficiency of Houston traffic signals. The expected net profit was more than $250,000, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.</p><p>Houston officials let Thacker design the energy saving system, but canceled his contract in 2004 and paid him $202,000. The city's new building services director, Issa Dadoush, said he had been uncomfortable with how Thacker got the contract.</p><p>McGilbra received earrings, a $700 Luis Vuitton gift certificate, expenses for trips to Miami and New Orleans and about $6,000 cash. She didn't disclose her gifts to the city, authorities said.</p><p>McGilbra pleaded guilty to taking bribes and is serving a three-year federal prison sentence in Bryan. Authorities say she cooperated to help identify Thacker.</p><p>The charges are part of a bribery investigation in a case that began in Cleveland and extended to Houston and New Orleans.</p><p>___</p><p>HASH(0x1cda17c)</p>

http://accesswdun.com/article/2005/12/133266