THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE

NORTHERN DISTRICT of MISSISSIPPI

NEWS

Former Greenville, MS School District Superintendent Sentenced to 76 Months for Receiving Bribes

OXFORD, Miss. - Felicia C. Adams, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi, Mississippi State Auditor Stacey Pickering, and Yessyka Santana, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General's Southeastern Regional Office announced that:

Harvey Franklin, 57, of Monroe, Georgia, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Sharion Aycock in Aberdeen, Mississippi, to 76 months imprisonment for receiving bribes and kickbacks from Edna Cochran Goble and embezzling federal funds from the Department of Education in connection with a contract for reading services between the Greenville, Mississippi, Public School District and Edna Goble’s company, Teach Them to Read, Inc. d/b/a Early Detection Necessary Action. In addition, Franklin was ordered to pay $1,201,247 in restitution to the Department of Education, including an immediate payment of $75,000, 3 years supervised release, 300 hours of community service and a $300 special assessment.

Franklin pled guilty on August 2, 2012, to a three count Information charging him with conspiracy to receive bribes and kickbacks in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371; receiving bribes and kickbacks in connection with federal program funds in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(1)(B); and embezzlement of federal funds in violation of 18 U.S.C. §641.

Edna Goble pled guilty on October 7, 2013, to Count One of an Indictment charging her with Conspiracy to pay bribes and kickbacks in connection with federal program funds in violation of 18 U.S.C. §371. No sentencing date has been set for Goble.

This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Department of Education, Office of Inspector General and the Office of the State Auditor for the State of Mississippi and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Clay Dabbs and Clay Joyner.