Witness in Atlanta corruption case receives sentence reduction

ATLANTA — A federal judge has agreed to reduce the prison sentence of Elvin “E.R.” Mitchell, a prominent contractor who plead guilty to bribery and money laundering charges involving city of Atlanta contracts.

According to a court filing dated Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones agreed to shrink Mitchell’s prison sentence from five to four years.

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Jeffrey W. Davis, the prosecutor overseeing the Atlanta corruption case, asked for the sentence reduction in January. He argued that Mitchell had substantially helped several prosecutions including that of Mitzi Bickers, a political operative and former city official.

Prosecutors allege Bickers used her influence — including the alleged bribery of at least one city official — to help steer contracts to Mitchell and Charles P. Richards Jr., another city contractor who also had his sentence reduced for cooperating with the government.

Bickers, who has pleaded not guilty, is scheduled to go on trial in April.

This story was written by Stephen Deere with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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