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The federal-parish investigation into suspected kickbacks, bid rigging, overcharges and overpayments in the Bossier Parish school system's maintenance department has moved into the school district's central office, as investigators push to determine who knew that one company had gotten a near-monopoly on the air-conditioning repair business.
And in a move that forecasts indictments could be forthcoming, federal prosecutors have obtained a court order against the owners of Air Repair, the heating and air conditioning company that is a central part of the investigation, KTBS News has learned. It orders them not to divest themselves of assets from the sale of their building in Bossier City. That money could be used as restitution.
The corruption investigation has ensnared some employees at the school system's maintenance department -- but none of them had the authority to issue checks. That is done at the central office in Benton.
One person who has met with investigators said they are pressing for information about who stood to profit, which employees at the School Board central office were involved in handling invoices and payments, and whether anyone raised concerns about so much money going to one company.
Investigators also were asking whether invoices were sent from the maintenance department to the central office in staggered amounts in order to skirt bid requirements, he said, speaking on condition he not be identified because it is an ongoing investigation.
The Bossier Sheriff's Department, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office are looking into whether some school maintenance employees demanded and received kickbacks in return for funneling work to Air Repair, a Bossier City company that got $6 million worth of air conditioning work from the school system in the past three years. They also are looking into whether inflated bills were submitted and whether the school system was billed for work that wasn't done. No charges have been filed but three employees in the maintenance department and the school system's director of maintenance have been suspended.
At the time of the suspected crimes, the school system was awash in cash from a bond issue dedicated to school improvements. Extensive air conditioning work was being done.
The Sheriff's Department and the Justice Department are declining comment.
The state legislative auditor's office is reviewing accounting and oversight procedures at the school system. Two people briefed about the audit said there could be more than three quarters of a million dollars in overpayments.
Law officers have questioned several central office employees about how the payment system worked, its oversight, who was responsible, whether checks and balances were manipulated, and if anybody questioned how things were done, said individuals who spoke with investigators.
Schools Superintendent Ken Kruithof said four separate, internal investigations of the maintenance department were conducted in the past three years after complaints were received.
"We just didn't have evidence to actually nail anybody, if you will, and to stop it," he said.
Anyone who had concerns about what was going on could have come to see him or any other administrator, Kruithof said. There was not a culture of indifference, he said.
"I have an open door policy," he said.
Kruithof said the district has already made changes in accounting procedures. More are expected after Louisiana's legislative auditor releases his report.
"We'll always be more careful," he said. "We've done that with how we purchase things -- to make sure we've got more than one set of eyes to document and say we've looked at all this."
Air Repair is owned by Garrett Wilson, 37, and Alan Lee, 52, who met while they were in prison, became very good at air conditioning work while incarcerated, and decided to open a business together when they got out, an acquaintance of Wilson said.
Wilson in 1995 was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his involvement in the murder of a man who was followed from a Bossier City casino after winning money. The victim was robbed and killed on Interstate 49 in DeSoto Parish after one of his tires was shot out.
Wilson, who implicated two companions in the murder, pleaded guilty to being an accessory to murder and armed robbery, court records show. He was later released on parole. The other two men are serving life sentences.
Lee served prison in Louisiana for a burglary conviction in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana Department of Corrections records show. DOC said he was sentenced as a repeat offender because of prior arrests in Texas.
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