J5 defendant Antwann Richardson’s attorney is attacking the credibility of a federal agent who participated in the investigation into his alleged misuse of pandemic relief funds.
In a motion filed July 31, attorney Victor Fleitas argues that Office of the Special Investigator General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) agent Richard Vignogna has outside business interests that may constitute a conflict of interest, as well as alleging that he lied on the stand about his disciplinary background during his career with the federal government.
Richardson, who was president of J5, along with company founder Jabari Edwards, were indicted in June 2022 for allegedly misusing more than $2 million in Paycheck Protection Plan and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program funding.
They allegedly fraudulently applied for coronavirus relief funds through North Atlantic Security, which Edwards owned at the time but later sold, and Edwards Enterprises, a company listing Edwards as its sole member.
It is the nature of NAS that is at the heart of Fleitas’ motion. NAS, he wrote, provided armed and unarmed security for government entities and businesses.
That’s a problem, because Vignogna has a financial interest in a company in that same line of work, Fleitas wrote. Vignogna is a registered agent and manager of a Florida-based security company named Global Threat Solutions LLC.
NAS “performed armed and unarmed security for government entities and businesses in the same jurisdictions where Global Threat Solutions provided the same or similar security services,” Fleitas wrote.
Government employees must be approved for outside employment and outside activities in addition to their regular duties, Fleitas wrote.
Fleitas is asking prosecutors to turn over any records pertaining to Vignogna’s outside employment, as well as whether or not he followed the policy in getting approval for outside work.
Additionally, Fleitas argues that Vignogna lied on the stand during an April 11 hearing on whether to suppress incriminating statements allegedly made by Edwards.
While on the stand Vignogna was asked if he had ever been accused of threatening or harassing a coworker while he was previously employed with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Fleitas wrote. He testified that he had not.
The defense later discovered a 2003 lawsuit in which the Southern District of New York found Vignogna had been the subject of a workplace complaint for threatening and harassing a female coworker with whom he had been involved “in an intimate relationship,” Fleitas wrote.
The law requires the government to turn over any evidence that impeaches the credibility of its witnesses, Fleitas wrote, and he asked the prosecution to turn over any records pertaining to Vignogna’s past disciplinary issues.
Government pushes back
In a response filed Aug. 7, prosecutors said the Postal Inspection Service told them there were no issues with Vignogna.
Prosecutors, in their motion, argue that Vignogna’s business interests do not create a conflict.
“Any connection between (Vignogna’s) other employment and the Columbus investigation are extremely remote, to the point of non-existence,” the government wrote. “… There is simply no evidence to support any alleged connection between (Vignogna’s) other employment and the Columbus investigation.”
Prosecutors asked the judge to bar the defense from bringing Vignogna’s moonlighting or “any alleged improper motive for the investigation” up at trial.
Still pending before the court is the question of whether Edwards attorney Wilbur Colom has a conflict of interest in the case. A hearing on the matter had been set, but it has been postponed and a new date has not yet been set.
Prosecutors allege Colom and Edwards have a business relationship, and that Colom himself could be called as a witness in the case, as could one of his employees.
Colom was the previous owner of Court Square Tower, which he sold to a corporation owned by Edwards in 2022. According to prosecutors, Colom also is assisting in running Edwards’ companies and has a personal financial interest in one of Edwards’ businesses.
The trial, which was scheduled to get underway this month, has been continued until Sept. 18.
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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