Elvin R. Mitchell Jr, Bribery and Money Laundering, GA 2024

Elvin R. Mitchell, Jr., 63, of Atlanta, Georgia, has been formally charged in a sweeping bribery and money laundering conspiracy tied to City of Atlanta construction contracts. Prosecutors allege Mitchell paid over $1 million in illicit payments to a middleman, believing the funds would be funneled to city officials with power over public contracting—rigging the system for personal gain.

According to court filings, Mitchell, owner of E.R. Mitchell Company, Cascade Building System, LLC., E.R. Mitchell Group, Inc., and EC & WT Construction Company, Inc., d/b/a E.R. Mitchell Construction Co., struck a deal with another construction industry figure between 2010 and August 2015 to buy influence. The scheme delivered more than $1 million to an intermediary in exchange for steering valuable city contracts to his firms—undermining fair competition and taxpayer trust.

“Mitchell brazenly sought to buy government contracts,” said U.S. Attorney John A. Horn. “Contractors who bribe their way into public work undermine the integrity of the system and ultimately cost taxpayers more money to get important projects done.” The indictment paints a calculated effort to exploit public infrastructure spending through backroom payoffs.

Adding financial deception to the fraud, Mitchell is accused of laundering the proceeds from these tainted contracts. He allegedly structured cash withdrawals in amounts under $10,000 to evade federal currency transaction reporting rules—a deliberate attempt to hide the illicit financial trail left by his bribery scheme.

“This case clearly demonstrates that those individuals who attempt to illegally influence our public officials can easily find themselves the subject of a federal investigation and prosecution,” said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Atlanta Field Office. “Because of the vast harm caused by public corruption, the FBI continues to make it our number one priority within our criminal investigative program.”

Special Agent in Charge Veronica F. Hyman-Pillot of IRS Criminal Investigation added, “The public contracting process should be one of integrity and fairness. Those who elect to pay illegal bribes to further their business interests should know that they are not beyond the reach of the law.” Mitchell has been charged by information and is expected to enter a guilty plea later this month. The case was investigated by the FBI and IRS-CI, and is being prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey W. Davis.