Full disclosure: Joey Williams and I first met on the campaign trail when I was running for Mayor to unseat Richard Clay Dixon and he was running for school board. I consider Joey a friend. I’ve watched him get married, his kids grow up, and his career do exactly what he wanted to do. I’ve broken bread with him, and I’ve always gotten a call back.
Brian Higgins is one of my closest friends. He was there for me when my dad was dying, and also when my mother was passing. A trained mortician, he’s been an amazing steadying force for me through the last 3 years. I did work for him when he owned Sidebar, and have done other work for him. Brian is a fellow veteran, and because of Dayton’s strange 1.2 degrees of separation rule, one of the first people I met in Dayton in 1983 was the man he calls his Dad, SGM John Powell, US Army Ret.
[1]The “Culture of Corruption” press conference
Today the US Attorney, the FBI and the Ohio AG made a spectacle out of the arrests of four black men in our community. Benjamin Glassman, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio called it “A culture of corruption” and that this was the first step in a series of indictments. My phone has been blowing up since the story first broke. I went and recorded the press conference and then asked the question “Why are you only indicting black men?”
I’m not into race baiting. But, if $150K is the size of the contract that rates as a “culture of corruption” with some payoffs of up to $20K, you are wearing some serious blinders. $130M went missing at Wright State. No one did the perp walk, no one placed in cuffs. But, oh, that’s right, they hired a former congressman to a contract for $150K to a shell 501c3 called Double Bowler. What did Steve Austria do for Double Bowler? No one cares. The deal for the former WPCU headquarters was over $5M of our money- getting handed off to the guy who is now the chairman of the board of trustees- and no one lifts a finger? Doug Fecher is head of a bank (credit union)- but untouchable, Joey Williams is not. One is white, one is black.
There was the case of Kent Development that was hiring X-cons to deconstruct homes in Dayton instead of demolition a while back that I wrote about. Kent had to bid to get more work on a $250K contract, but somehow, someone who had a measley $30K contract in place got their contract amended to the tune of a million and a half. Kent decided to close up shop. Was this looked into? Who paid someone off? It wasn’t Kent.
Minority contracting? Really? I got a score of 0 from DPS despite not only being a certified Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business and also HUBzone qualified- and the Ohlmann Group got a score of 10. Because they had listed a subcontractor who is black and were planning on spending some money with Dayton Weekly, a Black owned newspaper. The Ohlmann Group does work for the City of Dayton (a bad logo for $25K please) and for Dayton Public Schools (parent shaming billboards) and for Sinclair. My bid was for an effective rate of $41 an hour and under the RFP cap, there bid was for $125 an hour and over the bid cap. Guess who got the contract?
So, to sum up the indictments, Joey Williams ostensibly got some work done on his patio cheap, and then pushed to get the contractor a contract for $150K through Citywide (an organization I’ve called a quasi-government slush fund for over 25 years). RoShawn Winburn was accused of taking bribes of around $20K to steer contracts to folks. Clayton Luckie, who is already a convicted felon, was trying to get demolition contracts using his minority status for someone who would do the work that wasn’t a minority. Who is stupid enough to partner with a convicted felon to try to win government contracts? Well, that person is probably the same person who worked a plea deal with the feds, and is white. Unlucky for Brian Higgins, who hired him after a huge fish tank leaked in his house, that guy threw Brian in under the bus as a bonus. In reality- the insurance company now has the FBI and US Attorney working for them to collect on their civil case. Odd how that happens, isn’t it?
I can’t collect a $72K judgement against an embezzler in Montgomery County- where the County Prosecutor can’t manage an indictment against her. But, if the person is black, we have no problems going after them. She also stole $3K from the Service Disabled Veteran that I am Power of Attorney for, the Dayton Police Department still haven’t charged her. That’s federal money she stole? Can I get the FBI involved?
Talk about a culture of corruption? Really? When I called every official in the State including Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost who was the Auditor then, about the non-residency of Dr. Adil Baguirov on the School Board, his voter fraud, and the undisclosed shell companies I got no where. Same thing when I exposed Qbase for donating over $17K to then Congressman Steve Austria via 17 individual donations. Did I mention the FBI came to my office on that? Did I mention that Qbase was the darling of the Dayton Development Coalition? Another quasi-governmental slush fund that has zero oversight. Like when they hired Congressman Mike Turner’s wife’s firm to do the “Get Midwest” stinker of a promo-campaign for the region. I also exposed that her firm had done work for the Army Corps of Engineers while he sat on the Defense Appropriations Committee, and that she had worked for the Home Depot Political Action Committee. No cuffs there.
Do I need to go on. It would take me hours to just do the back links to all of these stories. But, they are all here on Esrati.com
I used to be good friends with Cathy Ponitz. She hasn’t talked to me since I wrote this post: Who’s the criminal? SCLC, Montgomery County, Caresource? [2] She heads the CareSource foundation btw.
Raleigh Trammell did the perp walk. The person who signed off on paying him all those years (so he could help deliver votes for the Democratic party) is Deborah Feldman, the former county administrator who is now the head of Children’s Medical Center. Did I mention that her husband was part of the group that extorted over $8M from the county to buy the land for Riverscape and the giant fountains back around 2000? What, we have a newfound “culture of corruption” Mr. Glassman? Nope, it’s been there all along.
Being me has its costs in Dayton. You may have noticed my campaign signs say vote Truth to Power. Now, maybe you’ll understand.
I’m uploading the four indictments just for easy access. The real question is when is the guy who paid the bribes going to get indicted?
[3]Joey Williams indictment- click image to download PDF
[4]Clayton Luckie indictment- click image to download PDF
[5]RoShawn WInburn indictment- click image to download PDF
[6]Brian Higgins indictment- click image to download PDF
There is a culture of corruption in city government but it does not belong to one racial group. It is across the board. These men were thrown under the bus not because they were black but because they are small fish in a bigger pond. The ones that are getting away with corruption are well connected and entangled with more powerful crooked politicians. Two wrongs don’t make a right so let’s not play the race card.
Welcome MacMahl- the big fish won’t get touched. But, the optics of this- suck. The people at CityWide- no indictment? The other people in city hall? The guy who has done more demolition in town than anyone else? The entire monarchy of Montgomery county and their patronage system is pay to play.
Well said Mr. Esrati. That is the crux of the matter, money. Indite the man for a $20,000 issue but look the other way on a $20 million dollar issue. This is all about money and cronyism. The minnows happen to be black but the sharks are white.
Brian Higgins means the world to me. He has been a true friend to me and my family since we moved to Dayton. He’s been fair and true. I trust him. He has shown nothing but integrity and kindness to us. He has taken time to get to know us personally and give us impeccable insight and wisdom to every day life’s situations. He has honored us and has showned himself to be honest and forthcoming in sharing of his life and time. I am very grateful to Brian and all the Quincy’s family that welcome us with open arms and compassionate care, love and support. Brian treats us with love and respect. Thank you Brian. We Love You More than words can express.
GrandMother and grandson
Dayton Ohio, wake up!!!! Estrati is giving you all the facts along with the truth, stop ignoring his critical points. Dayton do not become another Esau. Pay attention to all the verdicts of black officers involved in a white person killing. Look at how easy and quickly it is to convict black people And yes they deserved to be punished if guilty, but so should white people who are guilty. Since the FBI seems so intent on doing their job finally, maybe they can open those investigations up for the corruption that been going on inside the Montgomery County Jail, under the reign of Phill Plummer. Falsifying accreditation reports. Critically under staffing the jail, but over crowding the inmate population. Creating unsafe conditions for both staff and inmates. Estrati reported these stories in detail and was the first to expose the dangers behind that over crowded inhuman place called a jail. If not for the city commissioner and some of the judges, mayor and anyone else who help Plummer escape from being charged with these criminal offenses, Plummer would have been removed from his position as sheriff. All that corruption that was swept under the rug, so is Estrati right? Being black equates to a culture of corruption, So does being white mean you can’t help but be corrupt; is that why so many have walked away untouched?
I posted on the last article before you posted this article and before you asked Glassman your question (those silly timestamps).
Anyways, I completely agree with you on what you say about WSU and the other corrupt scandals not getting the attention that they deserve. Those folks should rightfully be charged. But you don’t seem to dispute that the four people that were charged today did something wrong that warrants these charges.
Is this not whataboutism? You seem to be defending some of them because you are friends with them, appearing bias, not because they didn’t do anything wrong. I read all of the posts on Higgins. Between not paying people and now this, he doesn’t seem to be an angel. How do you defend what he has done? By pointing out that others have also done wrong but not been charged?
Hilarious reading these responses with “ why didn’t WSU people get indicted and only these 4 black men”. Stick to the case at hand and try not to lose focus like most of you liberals usually do. Don’t blame others for the misconduct of a few regardless of race, color or religion. If this was a GOP person you would clapping all day. These hacks were sticking it to the people regardless if they were nice to you, best friends, god parents, fixed your toilets, wiped your butts when you couldn’t. Again stick to the facts of the case. It’s no secret of corruption in Dayton. These 4 just got caught. Who cares who turned on them, you should be thankful someone turned on them and they were indicted. Probably more arrests coming, and rats are scurrying to hide their tracks.
Come on David. You usually have some decent posts but this one is so far off base it’s pitiful and pathetic. Stick to school boards and other groups you know a lot about. Criminal cases is not your forte. You can’t stop your racial bias so you are already jaded with personal feelings. Let the process play out. Maybe they will get a sympathetic liberal federal judge like Rice. On the other hand maybe they will get Tom Rose and they will be eating federal hoagies for 10 years. Stay focused on the facts of the case. Not personal feelings. You know just like you guys did with Trump. Hahahahahaha.
I’m going to stand by this post. I didn’t defend anyone, I made sure I opened with “Full Disclosure” which is appropriate. I didn’t make excuses for anyone. I still think the Higgins part is the thing that’s not like the others. The paper has brought up his former businesses- which have nothing to do with the indictment. If you know anything about how government is supposed to work, there are supposed to be checks and balances, and more than one person signing off on contracts. Obviously, those rules aren’t being followed in Dayton where the friends and family plan is the law of the land thanks to the Monarchy of Montgomery County.
Considering one of the people involved was obviously white- paying RoShawn, doing work for Joey, partnering with Clayton- one must ask why he wasn’t indicted? Those are all crimes.
Of course, he’s probably singing for his freedom- but, really, how did School Board Member Karen Wick Gagnet get the house next to her knocked down in record time, when others wait years? Need a refresher? https://esrati.com/only-the-little-people-get-burned-in-dayton-ohio/16580
I voted for you today Esrati! Keep doing what you are doing. We need you.
David, why do you continue to bring up others without any facts? Who cares about a house demolished. Do you have evidence of wrong doing or is it all conjecture? Your interview on WHIO tonight sure seemed contrary to your post and certainly pointed to corruption and guilty guilty guilty.
Who cares who is black and white. They are criminals which is what’s important. If you don’t believe the charges offer to be a character witness for you buddies. I’m sure they would appreciate it.
As far as your “white guy” comment. He probably is the informant. So what’s the problem with that? Oh that’s right, he beat the 4 black guys to the punch.
You are flip flopping. No better evidence than WHIO news tonight.
Best of luck in your run for commission.
[…] “A culture of corruption”- but only if you’re black posted on April 30, 2019 […]
The Monarchy of Montgomery County is otherwise known as the “Lewis Mafia”. Brian Lewis (deputy sheriff) publicly admits he jokes about killing black people with other local police, then less than a year later kills a black man who was having a diabetic seizure in the county jail while violating safety protocols and the medics instructions (Lewis sat on a prone and handcuffed Richardson and suffocated him), then after the US Supreme Court refuses to hear the idiotic argument that Lewis’s lawyers argue, the County pays the man’s (Robert Richardson) family 3.5 million in hush money (our tax money btw, the Lewis Mafia had the citizens foot the bill) and this moronic boob Lewis somehow keeps his job because of his mafia connections. Mafia connections? yes that is right, Rebecca Lewis who is a figurehead of this mafia organization, is also the president of two Kettering Adventist healthcare hospitals and also a board member of the “Grandview Foundation” the organization that really owns the Kettering mafia network (They bought out Kettering Hospital and then used the name Kettering, because lets face it, many area residents know Grandveiw is a hellhole full of malfeasance and has been for years, and at one time Kettering Hospital was considered the areas best hospital), these criminals have sent millions of dollars a year south of the border for “investment” while receiving no notable returns, while claiming their mission is to help the locals who are in need of healthcare, how is that done shipping the federal money they receive thousands of miles away and outside of the United States? Culture of corruption indeed.
[…] was April 30, 2019 when the FBI, the State Attorney General and the Department of Justice told Dayton we… Since then, they’ve indicted 7 African Americans and 1 corrupt hillbilly demolition […]
[…] The reality is, the Feds failed massively in undoing the “culture of corruption” in Dayton- and to date have handed out meaningless slaps on the wrist to all part of this huge conspiracy that only seems to be perpetrated by Black men in the community. […]
[…] the feds announced they were indicting 4 Black men on April 30, 2019 as part of a “culture of corruption” I asked how this micky mouse clown crew rated the perp walk- when no one was indicted at Wright […]