Federal fraud trial for Conyers woman rescheduled (July 10, 2013)
Conyers company involved in kickback case(Aug. 6, 2012)
A former Conyers educator and business owner entered a guilty plea to one count of bribery in federal court in Oxford, Miss. just before her trial was set to start Tuesday.
Edna Goble had been facing 10 counts of bribes to former Greenville superintendent Harvey Franklin, Sr. in exchange for a consulting contract with her company "Teach them to Read, Inc." for use of the EDNA reading program, according to reports in the Delta Democrat Times and Associated Press. She allegedly received more than $47,000 in kickbacks.
The Lake Capri neighborhood resident was indicted December 2012 and entered a plea of not guilty at the time.
She now faces a possible maximum sentence of five yeras in prison and three years probation. A sentencing date has not been set.
The Greenville, Miss. school system paid $1.4 million in federal grant funds to Edna Goble's Teach Them To Read Inc.
Goble paid $36,000 on Franklin's truck loan, $9,400 on his home improvements and $1,900 on his American Express bill with cashier's checks bought through her company, according to previous reports. Goble also paid for tuition for Franklin's children at Drexel University and Tulane University, according to the Associated Press. The payments were reportedly made between May 2010 and May 2011.
Harvey entered a guilty plea in August 2012 to conspiracy, improperly accepting something valued at more than $5,000 and embezzling U.S. property worth more than $1,000. The three charges carry up to a total of $750,000 in fines and 25 years in prison. He has yet to be sentenced.
Franklin, who was appointed superintendent in 2009 and resigned in May 2012, agreed to forfeit his house and truck, according to federal court papers.
Goble worked for Rockdale County Public Schools from 1978-1990 as a PE teacher and from 1990-1994 as an Instructional Lead Teacher.
Franklin came to Greenville from Walton County Public Schools where he was Assistant Superintendent.