Former Atlanta official, Bickers, faced a court hearing on Wednesday, where she expressed regret for her previous decisions in the wake of a significant City Hall corruption inquiry.
Bickers, who was once Atlanta’s director of human services from 2010 to 2013, acknowledged her accountability in front of family and friends, stating, “I didn’t make all the right decisions. I don’t want anyone to think that I’m not accepting full responsibility for my own actions.”
In a sweeping investigation into corruption, nearly a dozen former officials and contractors have received prison sentences, with Bickers receiving the longest term among them.
During the hearing, prosecutors announced that four wire fraud counts against Bickers needed to be dismissed based on recent rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court that narrowed the definition of federal wire fraud.
Bickers’ defense team argued that these wire fraud counts were integral to her case and sought a resentencing of six and a half years.
Her attorney, Marissa Goldberg, argued that Bickers had undergone significant change during her time in prison, asserting she has become a “model inmate” with a renewed outlook on life.
Reflecting on her time behind bars, Bickers described it as a transformative experience, emphasizing her desire to aid fellow inmates with mental health issues and assist prison staff with professional development upon her release.
She acknowledged the need for careful decision-making in business to avoid the “blurred line” between personal friendships and professional dealings.
Prosecutor Nathan Kitchens considered Bickers’ acceptance of responsibility but stated that it did not negate the gravity of her actions. He noted, “Respectfully, this case was not about undotted Is or uncrossed Ts,” referencing the serious impact of her deceit on numerous honest city employees.
U.S. District Judge Steve Jones observed that re-sentencing Bickers to 14 years in light of the dismissed wire fraud counts would be unjust, although he reiterated that her conduct involving bribery and money laundering was undeniably serious.
Kitchens called attention to Bickers’ significant misconduct, indicating that her actions touched many who worked diligently for the city’s benefit.
Despite her appeals, Judge Jones declined Bickers’ request to significantly reduce the $2.9 million restitution she was ordered to pay.
Bickers was implicated in a scheme to pocket about $3 million in bribes from contractors in exchange for facilitating approximately $17 million in city contracts for various public works, such as bridge repairs and emergency snow removal.
Using the bribes, she acquired a home and other assets that were later forfeited as part of the case.
Initially indicted in March 2018 on multiple charges, including two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery and three counts of money laundering, Bickers pleaded not guilty. A bribery charge was added later, but jurors ultimately found her guilty on several charges, excluding bribery.
In September 2022, she received a 14-year prison sentence, alongside a restitution order of $2.9 million. However, in August 2024, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld her convictions, minus the wire fraud counts that prosecutors intended to drop, leading to a remand for resentencing.
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