Former Chief of Staff to Kasim Reed Sentenced to Federal Prison

Katrina Taylor-Parks is the 5th member of former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s cabinet to go to federal prison for taking bribes from city contractors.

Ajc.com reported that when Taylor-Parks received her 21 month prison sentence she collapsed in court.

Taylor-Parks admitted to accepting $15,000 in bribes from vendors seeking city contracts.

Taylor-Parks accepted bribes and gifts from a city vendor that the AJC has previously identified as Paul Marshall, a Marietta investment adviser who pleaded guilty in 2017 to defrauding investors.

In pleading to conspiracy to commit bribery, Taylor-Parks admitted to accepting $4,000 in payments from Marshall, who was awarded $100,000 in city business through a sole-source contract to install wireless service at Piedmont Park.

Marshall also controlled a company called FOGFuels, which won a City Council resolution authorizing the Reed administration to negotiate a sole-source contract to turn restaurant grease into biofuel. The contract was never fully consummated.

Locally there is growing speculation that Executive Assistant to Inglewood Mayor James Butts, Melanie McDade-Dickens, who earns an estimated $300k annually plays intermediary on his behalf for vendors seeking contracts with the city of Inglewood.

Trash haulers told FBI investigators they learned that Mayor Butts’ brother “needed a job” as they had bids before the city waiting for approval. 2 out of 3 companies passed on hiring Michael Butts, while the winning company, Consolidated/Republic Services did hire Butts’ brother. Coincidentally, Michael Butts and McDade shared the same bankruptcy attorney.

Mayor Butts’ attachment to rapper Snoop Dogg was also orchestrated by McDade, who regularly receives annual bonuses equal to 10% of her current salary.

Other members of Kasim Reed’s cabinet are also expected to face prison time for accepting bribes while his administration controlled the city of Atlanta. Reed has since deleted all social media accounts as the indictments became public. Reed was once a rising star whose future now possibly includes a prison term.