POTENTIAL KEY FIGURES IN THE MITZI BICKERS TRIAL

Mitzi Bickers

Bickers, a political consultant and pastor, is a daughter of Atlanta’s civil rights royalty and former president of the Atlanta school board. Her father, the Rev. Benjamin Weldon Bickers, was a boyhood friend of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The younger Bickers succeeded her father in the pulpit of Emmanuel Baptist Church. In 2009, Bickers worked as a get-out-the-vote specialist for Kasim Reed in his narrow runoff win in that year’s mayoral race. From 2010 to 2013, Bickers worked in the Reed administration as director of human services. She is currently a chaplain at the Clayton County Sheriff ’s Office.

Elvin R. ‘E.R.’ Mitchell Jr.

Mitchell is a longtime Atlanta construction contractor and son of a pioneering African American businessman who founded E.R. Mitchell Co. The younger Mitchell led the firm, another company called Cascade Building Systems and numerous subsidiaries that took part over many years in major government construction projects for local schools, the city of Atlanta, Hartsfield-jackson International Airport and the Georgia World Congress Center. The federal probe came to light in January 2017 when Mitchell was charged and pleaded guilty to conspiring with another city contractor, later identified as Charles P. Richards Jr., to pay bribes to win city business.

Charles P. Richards Jr.

Richards, CEO of C.P. Richards Construction Co., was a partner of Mitchell’s and often employed Mitchell’s companies as minority contractors. Richards pleaded guilty to paying at least $185,000 in exchange for city contracts. He was sentenced to 27 months in prison, though that term was shortened to 20 months by a judge, citing his cooperation with prosecutors.

Shandarrick Barnes

Barnes is a friend of Bickers’ who served in various roles in some of her companies. Barnes pleaded guilty in November 2017 to trying to intimidate a federal witness – Mitchell – by throwing a brick through the construction contractor’s window in September 2015. “Shut up ER, keep your mouth shut!!!”was written on the brick, and dead rats were scattered around Mitchell’s property. Barnes was sentenced in 2018 to 37 months in prison. He agreed to assist in the investigation as part of his plea.

COURTESY Former city employee Shandarrick Barnes pleaded guilty for his involvement in an attempt to intimidate a key figure in the Atlanta City Hall bribery scandal, which involved throwing a brick through a window at E.R. Mitchell’s home.

BRADEN CAMP FOR THE AJC Charles P. Richards Jr. pleaded guilty to paying bribes to win city contracts, though his sentence was reduced.

STEVE SCHAEFER FOR THE AJC Mitzi Bickers worked in Kasim Reed’s administration from 2010-2013, and served in other roles as well.

COURTESY Elvin “E.R.” Mitchell Jr. pleaded guilty in 2017 to conspiracy to commit bribery and launder money and has served time.