ATLANTA — The former commissioner of Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management has been convicted in a federal bribery case, the Department of Justice announced on Friday.
Jo Ann Macrina headed the city water agency from 2011-2016. She becomes the fourth ex-official in the administration of former Mayor Kasim Reed to be convicted or plead guilty in bribery cases.
According to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta, Macrina awarded contracts "worth millions of dollars" to an architectural and design firm in Atlanta, PRAD Group, in exchange for cash, gifts and even a room at a luxury hotel in Dubai.
To position PRAD to receive the contracts, the U.S. Attorney's Office said the 65-year-old replaced two evaluators for contract bids in the Department of Watershed Management "with herself and another individual" and altered scores associated with potential contractors that determine their viability for contracts in favor of PRAD.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said Macrina "accepted $10,000 in cash, jewelry, a room at a luxury hotel in Dubai, and landscaping work at her home," from Lohrasb "Jeff" Jafari, the executive vice president of PRAD.
"In exchange, Macrina provided Jafari with access to confidential information and preferential treatment with respect to City of Atlanta projects," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Additionally, she discussed taking work from Jafari while commissioner.
"Shortly after Macrina’s employment with the City of Atlanta ended she began working for Jafari and PRAD Group. Between June 2016 and September 2016, Jafari and/or PRAD Group paid Macrina $30,000 in four separate payments," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
She was convicted of conspiracy and federal program bribery, and will be sentenced at a later date.
Atlanta's former city Director of Human Services, Mitzi Bickers, was convicted earlier this year of money laundering, conspiracy to commit bribery and wire fraud, and was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.
Two other Reed administration officials, former city Chief Procurement Officer Adam Smith and Reed's Deputy Chief of Staff Katrina Taylor-Parks, have previously pleaded guilty to taking bribes and were given federal prison sentences.
A trial has yet to begin in the case of a fifth official, former city Chief Financial Officer Jim Beard.
Reed's former press secretary Jenna Garland was also convicted in 2019 on misdemeanor counts of violating the Georgia Open Records Act.
“Jo Ann Macrina betrayed the citizens of Atlanta by accepting cash, luxury items, and the promise of a future job in return for steering lucrative City of Atlanta contracts to a local businessman,” U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said in a statement. “Public officials who enrich themselves at the expense of the citizens they are pledged to serve exact a heavy toll on taxpayers, the economy, and the public trust. We remain committed to prosecuting officials who violate their oath to the public.”