Auction recoups $1.045M for Floyd County Schools There are still four Class 3 firearms that will be auctioned online Dec. 9.
There are still four firearms that will be auctioned online Dec. 9 because of their military-grade style.
An auction on Saturday of items seized or forfeited as part of a RICO case took in about $1,045,000 in proceeds.
Over 1,000 people attended the event at the Coosa Valley Fairgrounds, and the items for sale included the home of former Floyd County Schools maintenance director Derry Richardson, as well as furniture, vehicles and firearms.
The items came from defendants in a RICO case involving alleged decade-long thefts totaling $6.3 million from Floyd County Schools.
There are still four Class 3 firearms which will be auctioned off.
Those items are specifically regulated under the National Firearms Act because of their military-grade likeness. The Class 3 items will be sold in an online-only auction Dec. 9, and a dealer out of Taylorsville is handling them.
RICO cases have components both criminal and civil, so far 13 people have been criminally charged in the case, including Richardson.
There have been several settlements already in the RICO case and at least one notable settlement outside of that civil case.
The Floyd County Board of Education unanimously approved a settlement with Johnson Controls Inc., which will pay the school system $2.3 million and provide services and equipment.
Also, as part of the agreement, Johnson Controls will provide the system services and some equipment as well as parts for existing HVAC systems.
Richardson had worked for Johnson Controls before taking the position with Floyd County Schools; however, the company is not a party in the RICO lawsuit.
The state attempted to add Johnson Controls as a party to an ongoing civil RICO case against several defendants, including Richardson. A Floyd County judge denied that request stating that a court-imposed deadline to add parties had already passed.