LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — A former Lawrenceville Utilities official, Joshua Heath Morris, has been indicted on racketeering charges, along with businessman Westly Lee Griffin, for allegedly redirecting gas pipeline contracts to a company they controlled.
The indictment, announced on Wednesday, accuses Morris, the former assistant gas director for operations, and Griffin of conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
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The charges also include bribery and conspiracy in restraint of free and open competition in transactions with state or political subdivisions.
“Public officials are held to a high standard,” Gwinnett District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said in a statement. “We intend to prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law.”
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The scheme allegedly took place from January 2024 to March 2025, during which Morris and Griffin are accused of steering contracts for gas pipeline work in Lawrenceville to Griffin-owned W.L. Griffin Company, LLC. This company reportedly had no prior experience in gas pipeline work.
Evidence presented to a Gwinnett County Grand Jury shows that Morris and Griffin communicated more than 50 times between March and July 2024, violating the bid period non-collusion and non-communication clause that restricted contact with City personnel.
While still working for the City of Lawrenceville, Morris and his son Kyle Morris formed a private company, Natural Gas Consultation and Operation Services, LLC, intending to receive a share of profits from the W.L. Griffin contracts.
The indictment claims that Morris guided the city to cancel previously awarded contracts for the Ozora Church Road and Buford Drive Replacement projects, subsequently awarding them to W.L. Griffin.
Companies that lost work due to this change included Southern Utility Group and Harrison & Harrison.
Morris allegedly assisted W.L. Griffin at job sites and was issued a corporate credit card by the company even before he left his city position on March 14.
In addition to the RICO charges, both Morris and Griffin face bribery charges for the promise that W.L. Griffin would pay Morris and his company with profits from the collusion.
They are also accused of depriving other bidders of access to city contracts.
“The City of Lawrenceville is aware of recent indictments by the District Attorney’s Office involving a former Natural Gas employee,” City of Lawrenceville spokeswoman Melissa Hardegree said.
Hardegree said in a statement that the City of Lawrenceville was cooperating with the DA’s office and was now reviewing its purchasing policies. A forensic audit is also underway to ensure taxpayer funds were not misused, she added.
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