Trusting former state Rep. Robin Williams could get you in trouble, two of his co-defendants testified Tuesday.
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Robin Williams: Former state lawmaker faces 17 charges in the fraud case.
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Rick L. Camp denied that he once said he should take Mr. Williams out in the woods and shoot him. But after he and three others were indicted with Mr. Williams, he probably did say Mr. Williams deserved a beating, Mr. Camp testified as the final witness in the federal health care fraud trial.
"It is a mess, and I got dragged into it," Mr. Camp said.
"I trusted Robin," he said more than once Tuesday.
Mr. Williams, Mr. Camp, C. Michael Brockman, Augusta pharmacist Duncan Fordham and lobbyist M. Chad Long have denied allegations that they committed crimes including conspiracy and health care fraud in their dealings with the Community Mental Health Center of East Central Georgia.
Attorneys will make their closing arguments to the jury today, the 10th day of trial in U.S. District Court.
Defense attorneys have succeeded in getting some charges dismissed already. Mr. Fordham and his pharmacy have been dropped from the main conspiracy count; one count of money laundering has been dropped against Mr. Williams, Mr. Brockman and Mr. Camp; and a count of bribery has been dropped against Mr. Williams and Mr. Brockman.
But the jury still will have a slew of charges to consider: 17 against Mr. Williams; 17 against Mr. Brockman; five against Mr. Camp; two against Mr. Long; and one against Mr. Fordham and his pharmacy.
Mr. Fordham was the only defendant not to testify in the trial. Former Richmond County Sheriff Charles Webster testified as a character witness for him. State Rep. Henry Howard testified as a character witness for Mr. Fordham and Mr. Williams.
On Tuesday, Mr. Camp and Mr. Long testified that they didn't have a clue that someone could be cheating the Augusta mental health center and they believed they earned the money they received.
Mr. Camp, a former Atlanta Braves pitcher, testified that he agreed to serve as a lobbyist for the center to safeguard its single $125,000 line item expense in the state budget after Mr. Williams introduced him to the center's director, Mr. Brockman.
For that service, Mr. Camp had a $2,000-a-month contract that extended over a 27-month period. When Mr. Williams asked him whether he wanted to lobby for Insight, a new Augusta company that Mr. Williams also would be working for, Mr. Camp said he agreed.
Mr. Camp said he thought nothing of receiving and splitting $126,218 before he performed any service for Insight. Every time he asked Mr. Williams what he should do, Mr. Williams told him to sit tight, Mr. Camp said.
Mr. Long also said he trusted Mr. Williams, who had started him out in the lobbying and consulting business and helped him get a $44,000 contract with the mental health center.
While Mr. Long waited, Mr. Williams kept saying nothing could be done until a lawyer completed a permit application for the center to open an in-patient facility for children, Mr. Long said.
Mr. Long signed someone else's name to the $250,000 contract between International Consulting Corp., the company Mr. Williams had brought him into, and the mental health center at Mr. Williams' request, both men testified. Mr. Williams explained that his insurance company employee, Bertha Johnson, couldn't sign the document as an executive of the company that night and they needed a signature to get the project started, Mr. Long testified. Mr. Williams said he would substitute the signature page the next day, Mr. Long testified.
Several of the people who served on the center's board in March 2002 and approved the quarter-million-dollar contract have testified they did so because they were assured the state would reimburse the center.
Mr. Long said he told the board members he had indications from the "highest level" of state government that money would come from the state coffers.
Mr. Long said he was confident in making such an assertion because his grandfather Tom Murphy, who served 30 years as the House speaker, told him the money would be in the budget. Mr. Long testified that he had made a personal appeal to his grandfather to help fund the project.
Mr. Murphy lost his re-election that fall. Three months later, he suffered a crippling stroke.
Mr. Long said he failed to take steps to secure funding by other means.
Reach Sandy Hodson at (706) 823-3226 or sandy.hodson@augustachronicle.com.
What's Next:
Attorneys are expected to begin delivering closing arguments today.
Previous Stories
• Williams case goes to jurors
• Defendants had faith in Williams
• Questions focus on pricey cruise
• Robin Williams calls deals honest
• Williams trial witness is first to admit fraud
• Prosecutors say Williams lined pockets
• Witnesses speak of contract talks
• Jurors listen to tales of windfall
• Witness says he was 'puppet'
• Jury hears opening statements
• Fraud trial set for court today
• Trial is set to begin in fraud case
• Center considers name change for credibility
• Mental health center CEO works to get things straight
• Tangle of controversy
• Robin Williams' trial is set to begin Feb. 14
• Trials often have set path
• Health agency's board selects candidates
• Lawyer settles on deal
• Attorney could face complaints on ethics
• Center's ex-lawyer pleads innocent
• Williams' lawyer calls deals legal
• Williams indicted on fraud
Editorials
• Distressing indictments
