Bibb DA seeks special prosecutor in corruption case involving former police
Outgoing Bibb County District Attorney David Cooke on Tuesday announced he has requested that a prosecutor from another judicial circuit step in to oversee the handling of an alleged racketeering case involving coin-operated gaming machines that last week saw 16 people indicted.
Cooke, who leaves office at year’s end, sought the indictments for alleged crimes said to be connected to illegal gambling, bribery and tax fraud and to, at least in part, involve a handful of public officials across the region.
Cooke’s office has in the past recused itself from cases, most recently in May when word emerged that state authorities were investigating a trio of local companies for allegedly accepting money from the Macon Industrial Authority for work that was never completed.
In a statement emailed to area news outlets Tuesday referring to last week’s indictments, Cooke said, “In light of the concerns raised in the past week about this case, and considering my ethical duty as district attorney, I have disqualified the Macon Judicial Circuit from prosecuting it. An independent prosecutor appointed from outside the jurisdiction will help ensure public confidence that this case is handled fairly and objectively.”
The statement said the state attorney general’s office will appoint a special prosecutor.
Information from Telegraph archives was used in this report.
This story was originally published December 15, 2020 at 4:01 PM.