A former president of the Clarksville Department of Electricity was sentenced this week to 46 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a fraud, bribery and kickbacks scheme, reports the Leaf-Chronicle.
Rick R. Ingram Sr., 55, of Simpsonville, S.C., was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court, according to a news release from David Rivera, U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Ingram was also ordered to pay $188,289 in restitution to CDE.
“Corrupt practices by public officials and consultants undermine the confidence that citizens must have in their governmental institutions,” Rivera said in the release.
…Ingram pleaded guilty on May 25, 2012, to two counts of honest services mail fraud and two counts of honest services wire fraud.
In court Tuesday, Ingram read a statement apologizing to the people of Clarksville and to CDE, according to his attorney, Kenneth Quillen of Nashville.
According to the testimony at his plea hearing, Ingram hired two consultants for CDE in November 2008. From then through June 2009, one of those consultants, Tommy L. Walton II, and his business entity, IntelliNet Consulting, invoiced and received from CDE a total of $156,139. The payment of each invoice was approved by Ingram.
During that same time, Walton II paid $51,500 directly to Ingram or to one of Ingram’s creditors, according to the news release.
Also from November 2008 through June 2009, the other consultant, Tommy L. Walton Sr., and his business entity, Intelligent Surveillance, invoiced and received from CDE $32,150. The payment of each of those invoices also was approved by Ingram. During that time, Walton Sr. paid $16,015 to Ingram.