Canton City Officials, Bribery, Mississippi 2021

Grimy Times Exclusive:

Canton City Officials Embroiled in Bribery Scheme

In a shocking turn of events, three City of Canton officials, including former city engineer Cleveland Anderson, have been charged with conspiracy to commit bribery in connection with a lucrative city engineering contract worth thousands of dollars.

According to court documents, Anderson, along with Eric Gilkey and Andrew Grant, pleaded guilty to conspiring with Rudolph M. (‘Rudy’) Warnock, Jr. in the bribery scheme. Warnock, the mastermind behind the operation, is accused of directing payments and rewards to Anderson, Gilkey, and Grant in exchange for preferential treatment that resulted in lucrative city engineering contracts for Warnock.

The ‘gratuities’ supplied by Warnock included thousands of dollars in cash, concert tickets, and football tickets in New Orleans, Louisiana. This scandal has left the residents of Canton, Mississippi reeling, with many questioning the integrity of their city officials.

Gilkey, 55, and Grant, 38, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bribery. They are scheduled to be sentenced on February 23, 2022, and face a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison.

Anderson is charged with two counts of Conspiracy to Commit Bribery in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. If convicted, Anderson faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as to each count.

Warnock is charged with two counts of Conspiracy to Commit Bribery in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, and one count of Wire Fraud in violation of the Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. If convicted, Warnock faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as to the Conspiracy to Commit Bribery Charges. Warnock faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison as to the charges relating to Wire Fraud.

The FBI is investigating the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

We will continue to follow this story and provide updates as more information becomes available.

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