Tuscaloosa Contractor Indicted

BIRMINGHAM, AL—ROGER TAYLOR 54, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was arrested this morning and released on bond after being arraigned before Magistrate Judge Armstrong this morning. TAYLOR, a principle in Hall-Taylor Construction Company was charged in a seventeen-count indictment which was unsealed today at U. S. District Court in Birmingham according to United States Attorney Alice H. Martin of the Northern District of Alabama and Carmen S. Adams, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation. The charges include conspiracy, bribery and misapplication of State funds, obstruction of justice, and forfeiture.

“This indictment speaks to the fact that those who do business with the State of Alabama and Departments within the State must do so honestly,” stated U.S. Attorney Alice H. Martin. “The culture that one must pay to play must be changed. It is offensive to the very concept of equal opportunity under the law for certain individuals to gain unfair advantage in the awarding of state contracts by doing favors and paying thousands of dollars to persons who control the business.”

"Contractors and vendors who buy influence through bribes should be concerned about law enforcement's response through prosecutions,"stated Richard Minor, Acting Alabama Attorney General.

The indictment charges TAYLOR with two separate conspiracies to violate federal law. One conspiracy involved paying for construction and appliances for former Chancellor Roy W. Johnson, Jr.’s Opelika residence to influence and reward Johnson in connection with Taylor’s business with Alabama’s community colleges. The second conspiracy involved conspiring with William L. Langston, former Executive Director of the Alabama Fire Colleges and others persons to misapply State funds from the Fire College and Shelton State Community College to build a presidential mansion which was owned by a private Foundation connected with Shelton State. Johnson has previously plead guilty to federal charges and Langston was previously convicted of fraud causes by a federal jury. Both awaiting sentencing.

The indictment further charges TAYLOR with twelve counts of bribery and misapplication of State funds where TAYLOR provided Johnson over $92,000 towards the construction of his residence and TAYLOR obtained $35,000 through a 2004 contract arranged by Langston that required TAYLOR’S company, Hall-Taylor Construction Company, to do no work at the Fire College.

TAYLOR is also charged with two counts of obstruction of justice for providing law enforcement and the grand jury with a letter he wrote to Johnson, after the fact of a grand jury investigation was known, that purported to bill Johnson for the construction costs paid by TAYLOR when TAYLOR’S intention had been to provide the construction and appliance pays to Johnson free of charge as “gifts.”

The indictment seeks forfeiture of approximately $3,000,000, which represents the proceeds TAYLOR and his company received in connection with construction contracts influenced by the violations set out in the indictment.

The maximum sentence for the crimes charged in the indictment is 170 years’ imprisonment and fines of $4,000,000 and more.

The investigation of this case was conducted by agents with the Alabama Attorney General’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Assistant United States Attorney Pat Meadows is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.