Prichard Water Board Corruption Case Heads Toward Guilty Pleas

Prichard, Ala. (BuzzReport) — The sprawling federal corruption case tied to the Prichard Water Works and Sewer Board is moving closer to resolution as its central figure prepares to admit guilt.

Nia Malika Bradley, the former operations manager of the utility, has notified federal court officials of her intent to plead guilty, according to filings submitted Thursday. Within hours, two additional defendants signaled they will also enter guilty pleas, marking a major turning point in the high-profile investigation.

Bradley’s attorney confirmed that a plea agreement has been reached with prosecutors, though the document has not yet been formally filed.

Federal scrutiny of the Prichard Water Board intensified in early 2022 when agents raided the utility’s headquarters, hauling away boxes of records and computer equipment. Investigators later searched Bradley’s home in Mobile as part of the widening probe.

Prosecutors allege Bradley orchestrated a years-long scheme alongside fellow employees and a board member to siphon millions of dollars from the utility using falsified contractor records. According to the indictment, fraudulent invoices and payment authorizations were used to divert as much as $2.5 million for personal benefit.

Bradley is also facing related state charges, accused of racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal expenses using a utility-issued credit card.

Court records show Bradley plans to plead guilty to multiple federal charges, including conspiracy to commit mail, bank, and wire fraud; conspiracy to defraud the United States; money laundering conspiracy; wire fraud; bank fraud; and filing a false tax return.

Two co-defendants — Randy Burden, a former water board employee who worked under Bradley, and Steve Jones, a local contractor — have also informed the court of their intent to plead guilty. Both are expected to admit to conspiracy charges and bank fraud.

The indictment, unsealed in April, alleges Burden assisted Bradley in falsifying payment approvals and that the pair laundered more than $960,000 in illegal payments through a jointly owned business, B&B Enterprise.

Another company named in the case, Unlimited Automotive Repairs, was allegedly used as a front to legitimize fraudulent payments. Prosecutors say Jones, who owned the business, received more than $700,000 by allowing his company to be listed on falsified authorizations.

A formal plea date has not yet been scheduled.