DeKalb Schools Fraud Case to Stay in County

A superior court judge handed down two rulings Wednesday in the case against three former DeKalb County school officials and an architect who did work for the school district.

The judge ruled that there will be no venue change and the case will be tried in DeKalb County. The judge also ruled that racketeering charges in the indictment will be upheld.

There is a 127 page indictment against former DeKalb County superintendent, Crawford Lewis, his former chief operating officer Patricia Reid, her then husband, and architect, Tony Pope, and Reid's former secretary Cointa Moody.

The indictment alleges that Reid steered lucrative school construction contracts her husband's way, that her secretary helped her with paperwork and that Lewis signed off on it all.

Lewis faces six counts for racketeering, theft by a govement employee, bribery and falsifying public documents.

All four defendants are charged with racketeering, and all except Pope are charged with theft by a govement employee.