FBI NAILS ARCHITECT
        MILLIONS IN BILLINGS
The opportunities for corruption in the architecture and building trades seem to be endless. In the case of the FBI's investigation of Anniston, Alabama architect Julian Jenkins the criminal scheme involved payola related... to school construction. Jenkins venerable firm did millions of dollars worth of business and seemed to be conducting its affairs in an exemplary manner.

Then came the phony $55,000 invoice that landed Jenkins in jail.It was revealed by the FBI that Alabama's Chancellor Of Secondary Education was guilty of corruption and had accepted all kinds of favors from various service and contracting providers for his personal use. The sub text of the charges was that in order to have your contract approved by the Chancellor, a firm had to grease his palm in some way. Architect Jenkins was caught in a dilemma. He had provided thousands of dollars worth of architectural services to the Chancellor for free and was richly rewarded by an endless stream of contracts emanating from the Chancellor's office. When the Feds began to close in on the crony-capitalists, the Chancellor asked Jenkins to provide invoices for $55,000. The dilemma Jenkins faced was both legal and moral. Do I provide my benefactor with what he wants and commit a crime? Or do I turn him in? Architect Jenkins chose the former.

It was a bad choice as it turns out because providing fraudulent documents to cover up a crime turns out to be a crime. A big crime. As his reward for helping defraud the taxpayers and obstruct justice in a federal investigation, the 77 year old formerly respected professional will serve 6 months of home arrest. He has been barred from doing any future work for the Secondary School system and will repay in full the profits from his crime.