After hearing several witnesses say that Campbell Peery's fingerprints were all over the case against former state Rep. Robin Williams and his co-defendants, a federal jury heard from Mr. Peery himself Tuesday.
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Former state Rep. Robin Williams has pleaded not guilty to charges.
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"I made a good puppet," Mr. Peery said of his 18 months as director of the Community Mental Health Center of East Central Georgia.
Mr. Peery testified for the prosecution in the criminal case against Mr. Williams; his close friend C. Michael Brockman, who is another former director of the center; Augusta pharmacist Duncan Fordham; and lobbyists M. Chad Long and Rick L. Camp. Each has pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court to charges including conspiracy and health-care fraud.
The men stand accused of using the Augusta mental health center to illegally line their own pockets with the limited funds available to treat the mostly poor people who seek services at the center. In all, state and federal investigators contend, the men siphoned off about $2 million.
As witnesses testified about Mr. Brockman's signatures on contracts and checks written to Mr. Fordham, Mr. Long and Mr. Camp, defense attorneys pointed out in cross-examination that Mr. Peery also signed contracts and checks.
In 2004, state investigators questioned Mr. Peery under two conditions: Mr. Peery had a lawyer present and would not be prosecuted for anything he said during those sessions, he testified Tuesday.
At his first meeting with the mental health center's board of directors in 1999, Mr. Peery testified, he told them he did not believe Mr. Brockman was qualified to run the center's business office.
The next morning, a professional process server delivered a notarized letter to his home, he testified. It stated that he could not hire, fire or force any employee to resign without the board's permission. It was signed by the board members, including Mr. Williams' wife, another person who rented office space from Mr. Williams and a third who, prosecutors allege, received two bribes from Mr. Williams.
"Not much need for an executive director then, is there?" Mr. Peery asked.
He testified that he thought he could safeguard his job if he could find ways to generate revenue.
One idea he proposed was buying Charter Hospital and getting the certification needed to treat South Carolina children covered by Medicaid.
On a trip to the capital, Mr. Peery said, Mr. Williams told the mental health center's group that he knew who could help them get the South Carolina certification. He introduced them to Mr. Camp that day.
More than $126,000 in mental health center checks would be written to Mr. Camp, including one for $20,000 that was deposited into Mr. Williams' bank account, another witness testified Tuesday.
Mr. Williams also was involved in the hiring of Mr. Fordham to run the center's pharmacy, Mr. Peery testified.
Mr. Williams attended the first meeting between Mr. Peery and Mr. Fordham and said he was Mr. Fordham's agent, Mr. Peery testified.
Mr. Peery was the one who suggested incentive payments for the pharmacist's contract, he testified, and he signed at least one check for about $17,000 in February 2001.
After Mr. Peery was replaced by Mr. Brockman, Mr. Fordham received incentive payments during the next six months ranging from $70,000 to $192,048, Greg Peterson testified.
He was one of the auditors sent to investigate the mental health center in March 2003 ñ on the heels of a whistle-blower's anonymous letter and an investigation by The Augusta Chronicle.
Attorneys for Mr. Williams and Mr. Fordham contend nothing was illegal in the pharmacist giving Mr. Williams more than $300,000 of his mental health center income.
Reach Sandy Hodson at (706) 823-3226 or sandy.hodson@augustachronicle.com.
What's Next:
Court is expected to resume at 9 a.m. The jury has been sequestered for the duration of the trial.
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• Prosecutors say Williams lined pockets
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• Jurors listen to tales of windfall
• Witness says he was 'puppet'
• Jury hears opening statements
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• Tangle of controversy
• Robin Williams' trial is set to begin Feb. 14
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• Health agency's board selects candidates
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