Prichard Water Works Embezzlement Case Headed to Trial Nearly Four Years After Federal Raid

Prichard, Ala. (BuzzReport) — A federal judge on Thursday set a February trial date for the former operations manager of the Prichard water system and several co-defendants accused in a sweeping embezzlement scheme that prosecutors say drained millions of dollars from the financially crippled utility.

The trial is scheduled to begin nearly four years to the month after federal agents raided the headquarters of the Prichard Water Works & Sewer Board in February 2022, a moment that exposed what authorities describe as years of fraud and mismanagement inside the agency.

Federal prosecutors allege that Nia Malika Bradley, 51, and others exploited their positions by using utility-issued credit cards to rack up hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal purchases. According to an indictment unsealed in April, the alleged fraud totals nearly $2.5 million.

The 2022 raid marked the beginning of one of the darkest chapters in the utility’s troubled history. In the months that followed, a federal judge ruled that the water board had defaulted on $55.78 million in debt borrowed in 2019, stripped the board of its governing authority, and appointed an outside expert to take control of the system. Despite ongoing efforts to stabilize the utility and restore financial order, results have been mixed.

The case has already led to guilty pleas from two individuals connected to the scheme.

Ayanna Payton, a former board member who served during Bradley’s tenure as operations manager, secretly pleaded guilty in 2023 to participating in the conspiracy. Stephanie Hunn, a friend of Payton’s, also pleaded guilty. Both are awaiting sentencing.

Court records show Payton admitted to falsifying payment authorizations and accepting kickbacks tied to fraudulent transactions. Hunn acknowledged creating a fictitious business and submitting false invoices to justify unlawful payments to herself and three contractors.

Prosecutors allege Bradley received a share of those illicit payments and, along with co-defendant Randy Burden, falsified payment authorizations to keep the scheme running. The indictment further claims Bradley and Burden laundered more than $960,000 in illegal proceeds through a business they jointly owned, B&B Enterprise.

Also scheduled to stand trial in February are three contractors accused of receiving fraudulent payments: Steve Jones, owner of Unlimited Automotive Repairs; Larry Knight; and Dejuan Lamar. Prosecutors allege Jones and Knight each received more than $700,000, while Lamar allegedly received $90,000.

If convicted, the defendants could face significant prison sentences and financial penalties. For Prichard residents—many of whom endured billing problems, service disruptions, and rising costs as the utility unraveled—the upcoming trial represents a critical step toward accountability in a scandal that reshaped the city’s water system and eroded public trust.