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CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – A former Clarksville Department of Electricity (CDE) president has been sentenced to 46 months in prison, followed by three years supervised release, in U.S. District Court.
Rick R. Ingram, Sr., 55, was sentenced for his role in an honest services mail and wire fraud scheme involving his receipt of bribes and kickbacks as president of CDE, according to a release from David Rivera, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Ingram was ordered to pay $188,289.39 in restitution to CDE.
“Corrupt practices by public officials and consultants undermine the confidence that citizens must have in their governmental institutions,” said U.S. Attorney David Rivera. “The costs of corruption are born by taxpayers, ratepayers, honest vendors and honest public employees. The Department of Justice is committed to prosecuting individuals who fraudulently game the system to line their own pockets at the expense of the public and of all those who labor honestly and follow the rules.”
Ingram pleaded guilty on May 25, 2012, to two counts of honest services mail fraud and two counts of honest services wire fraud.
Tommy L. Walton, II and Tommy L. Walton, Sr. were also involved in the scheme. The payments by the Waltons to Ingram were not disclosed to members of the Clarksville Electric Power Board or to other employees at the Clarksville Department of Electricity. The United States alleged that these payments by the Waltons were bribes and kickbacks and that the concealment of these payments from the Clarksville Department of Electricity deprived the Clarksville Department of Electricity and its customers of the honest services of Ingram.