Crime

Multimillion-dollar Bibb school fraud case expected to go to jury Friday

Dave L. Carty leaving U.S. District Court in Macon earlier this week.
Dave L. Carty leaving U.S. District Court in Macon earlier this week. bcabell@macon.com

Testimony ended Thursday in the federal wire fraud and money laundering trial of a Macon man accused of helping orchestrate an allegedly corrupt $3.7-million computer sale to the Bibb County public school system.

After two and a half days of testimony, prosecutors rested their case, as did lawyers for Dave L. Carty, a co-founder of Progressive Consulting Technologies, a local firm the authorities contend illegally carried out the multimillion-dollar sale in late 2012.

Carty, 49, whose business partner and co-defendant in the case, Isaac J. Culver III, was tried separately and convicted last year, did not take the stand.

Closing arguments were set for 9 a.m. Friday, and jurors could begin their deliberations about midday.

The case centers on a computing deal that Progressive made by enlisting an Ohio company, CompTech, as a “pass through.” The authorities contend Progressive privately bought $1.7 million worth of computing devices in late 2012.

To make the sale appear above board, Progressive allegedly helped prepare phony invoices to make it look like CompTech was the vendor, in turn charging the school system $3.7 million for the devices.

This story was originally published January 31, 2019 at 2:20 PM.

Joe Kovac Jr.
The Telegraph
Joe Kovac Jr. writes about local news and features for The Telegraph, with an eye for human-interest stories. Joe is a Warner Robins native and graduate of Warner Robins High. He joined the Telegraph in 1991 after graduating from the University of Georgia. As a Pulliam Fellowship recipient in 1991, Joe worked for the Indianapolis News. His stories have appeared in the Washington Post, the Seattle Times and Atlanta Magazine. He has been a Livingston Award finalist and won numerous Georgia Press Association and Georgia Associated Press awards.
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