DeKalb public official, businessman indicted after Channel 2 investigation

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A DeKalb County grand jury has indicted a former high-ranking public official and a local businessman in connection with a $4000 check made out to DeKalb CEO Lee May.

Morris Williams is now facing criminal charges, including two counts of theft and one count of conspiracy to defraud.

He most recently served as Deputy Chief Operating Officer for DeKalb County. He abruptly resigned last year while Channel 2 Action News and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution were investigating the origin of the check and where the money went.

"Morris [Williams] contacted me and said, 'Lee's having some financial trouble, is there any way you can help him out?'" said businessman Doug Cotter, who admitted to Channel 2 investigative reporter Jodie Fleischer that he is the one who obtained that check from a company he was working for at the time.

He says the intended purpose was to help Lee May out of financial trouble. May was a DeKalb County commissioner at the time the check was drafted, and had recently filed for bankruptcy.

Cotter got the check from a water removal and restoration company that had just completed work at May's home after a sewage backup.

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"It could have been a reimbursement check, but it wasn't my signature on it. And I'm not sure how the check got out there," said John Meyer, who used to own that company, Water Removal Services.

Cotter says the check could not have been a reimbursement, because DeKalb County paid for the work at May's house, roughly $6500, whereas the $4000 check drafted six days later, was made out to Lee May personally.

Cotter says he delivered the check to Williams because he was close friends with him and saw him more often than he saw May. Williams was the commissioners' chief of staff at the time. But Cotter says within a few days, he heard from Williams again.

"Morris asked me, 'Doug, is there any way you can cash this for Lee?' said Cotter, "I said sure. I know both of them."

Cotter's family owns a liquor store with a check cashing business inside, and he admits he's the one who turned that check into $4000 cash.

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"I handed that money to Morris Williams and that was the last time I saw it," said Cotter, "I was hoping it was going to the intended use , to help Lee [May] and his family."

Cotter is now facing four criminal charges: two counts of theft, one count of conspiracy to defraud and one count of false statements.

Lee May, who Cotter believes was the recipient of the funds, is not facing any charges.

Did Cash Lead to County Contract?

"I'm answering this very clearly. That is not a check that was cut to me. I've never received one dollar let alone $4000," May told Channel 2 in April 2015.

Records show two weeks after that check cleared, bidding opened on a new county contract for water removal services. Cotter submitted a bid for the same company that had done the work at May's home, and won the contract.

"I never wanted to participate down there to begin with, that's why we never took that contract," said John Meyer, the company's former owner, "We just kind of backed out."

But Meyer says Cotter still wanted the contract badly. In fact, three days before Cotter placed the Water Removal Services bid, he reserved the name for his own new company, Haw Creek Restoration, which went on to make more than $300,000 for DeKalb County government work.

"If it's a situation where a brand new company is getting work and they didn't compete after it, absolutely not, that should not occur," said May.

Fleischer asked Cotter if the $4,000 had anything to do with his bid to win that contract.

"No!" Cotter replied, "Lee [May] had nothing to do with the bidding process."

May says he also had nothing to do with that check.

"It is absolutely not my signature," said May, adding that he didn't even know the check existed until Channel 2 asked about it. He denies endorsing it or receiving the money.

Fleischer pulled samples of May's signature from official county records, as well as samples of Morris Williams' handwriting, since Cotter says when he got the check back from Williams it was already endorsed with May's name on the back.

The 'M' in May appears to resemble the 'M' in Morris Williams' regular signature.

After 17 years with the county, Williams abruptly retired last year, just as the Channel 2 Action News, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the FBI began investigating this situation.

The Money Trail

In December 2009, a county pipe spewed sewage into May's home. County crews worked to clean up the mess, but then restoration work was needed to fix the floors, walls and baseboards which were damaged.

DeKalb taxpayers ended up footing the bill, which

, after Channel 2 inquired about it.

He said he was unaware of the $4000 check that followed.

"Absolutely, I plan on having a conversation to figure out what the hell was done, excuse my French," May said last year.

The money trail surrounding the $4000 check appears to end with either Lee May, Doug Cotter, or Morris Williams.

Morris Williams declined requests for an interview. By phone, he would only say Cotter's version of events "did not happen that way." Williams said he did not receive "that amount of money" from Cotter, but Williams refused to comment when Fleischer asked whether he ever gave May any money.

Last Fall, a report by investigators evaluating corruption in DeKalb County revealed that May admitted borrowing money from Williams at some point, but did not specify a dollar amount or timeframe.

May has been particularly vocal in his efforts to root out DeKalb County corruption during his time as interim CEO.

He forwarded all of the records Channel 2 requested and a copy of the $4000 check to the GBI, FBI, the district attorney and local law enforcement to prove he's serious about getting to the bottom of it.

He said, "For someone to benefit off my name, that's inappropriate that's illegal and they need to be dealt with."

Cox Media Group