Day four of the federal trial of Jabari Edwards and Antwann Richardson saw testimony from former J5 Solutions Vice President Shanta Blakney, who oversaw many of the companies financial transactions, and Russell Sheffeld, who told the court he routinely gave Edwards cash “gifts” to help him make ends meet during 2019.
Edwards and Richardson are accused of misusing several million dollars in federal pandemic relief funds. The Columbus men each face 17 criminal counts.
The case centers around a group of companies owned by Edwards, which includes J5 Solutions, J5 GBL, the Bridge Group and North Atlantic Security Services. Also involved is Edwards’ personal, limited-liability company Edwards Enterprises. Edwards owned the companies, but Richardson oversaw the day-to-day operations.
North Atlantic Security and Edwards Enterprises are the companies at the heart of the investigation. Edwards and Richardson, among other things, allegedly applied for Paycheck Protection Plan loans for NAS after it had been sold off.
Blakney was on the stand for most of the day Thursday. Under examination from Assistant United States Attorney Philip Levy, she told the court she was one of J5’s longest-serving employees, joining J5 GBL in January 2015 and eventually being promoted to VP.
Blakney testified that NAS stopped doing business in March 2021, when it was sold to Jim Bell and Christina Steadman, and its only large recurring expenses after that point were outstanding payroll tax debts and associated penalties. She estimated the company owed $1 million in back taxes, and another $250,000 to $500,000 in penalties.
Edwards and Richardson applied for PPP loans in January 2021, ostensibly for payroll and other business expenses, but Blakney testified that by April 2021 the company’s total payroll was $999, and after that day had no payroll expenses at all.
In late 2021, NAS applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan, Blakney said. There had been some discussion amongst herself, Edwards and Richardson about whether to go after that money, with Edwards wanting an accountant’s opinion and Richardson wanting to pursue it.
“I said I wouldn’t do it,” Blakney said. “I try to take my instructions from God, and I felt like it was a sign from God not to do it.”
Blakney said when she told Edwards by text she didn’t think it was a good idea, he responded “10-4.” However, in the end, he and Richardson went after the loan money.
Both men told her to be on the lookout for the money, Blakney testified.
“They were eager to make tax payments,” she said.
She said she thought some of that money was used to pay the tax penalties for NAS.
When the NAS loan arrived, Blakney testified Edwards told her to move it into the Edwards Enterprises bank account. Edwards Enterprises was Edwards’ consulting business, and was not under the J5 Solutions umbrella. Edwards was the sole employee, and he ran the business out of his house.
Richardson did not have access to that account, Blakney testified.
“(Edwards) asked me to do that so (Richardson) wouldn’t make bad decisions with it,” Blakney testified.
The money was deposited on Nov. 9, 2021, and began to be moved out the next day to accounts for other companies, including J5 GBL and J5 Solutions.
Blakney testified that payments to Wilbur Colom to purchase Court Square Tower and bonus checks for employees and family members — which were inscribed “I love you” and in the five-figure range — were also paid out of that money. Blakney received an “I love you” check for $20,000.
Edwards Enterprises also received EIDL money, Blakney testified.
Court documents show that Edwards Enterprises received a total of $928,700 in two tranches, the first in December 2021 and the second in January 2022.
By mid-April the Edwards Enterprises account had been depleted and only had enough money in it to cover bank fees, Blakney testified.
On cross examination by Edwards’ attorney, Chandler Rogers, Blakney testified that she had had to reprimand comptroller Christina Steadman on several occasions for being unable to reconcile bank accounts. She also testified that Steadman had given a raise to an NAS employee with authorization from Edwards.
Blakney told Rogers Edwards Enterprises had other income sources beyond the EIDL money, including $2,500 per month from Best Friends Animal Society in Jackson and the Path Company, which installed LED street lights. Edwards received a percentage from Path for street light sales, but Blakney didn’t know the exact amount.
She also testified that Edwards deposited some $1.5 million into the Edwards Enterprises account from the sale of his interest in a medical company.
Under questioning from Rogers, Blakney testified that Edwards’ companies had healthy revenue streams, including about $6 million from the Greenfield Trust — which contracted out cleanup of the Kerr-McGee Superfund site to J5 GBL.
Edwards frequently used his own money to make up for shortfalls at his various companies, Blakney said.
“He often loaned them money out of his own pocket,” Blakney said. “It was a normal practice for him.”
A friend in need
Russell Sheffield, owner of RDI Corporation, testified to AUSA Robert Mims that he gave Edwards “gifts” totaling some $568,775 over the course of 2019.
When J5 GBL won the contract to do cleanup at the Kerr-McGee site, RDI was subcontracted to haul out contaminated dirt and to bring in clean fill dirt to replace it, Sheffield testified. Over the course of 2019, J5 GBL paid RDI $9,689,377 for the work it did.
However, during that same time, Sheffield testified that he turned around and wrote Edwards 14 checks, totalling $568,775, which he characterized as “gifts.”
“I was trying to help him survive,” Sheffield said. “He was having some trouble with his business, and I consider him a friend. … You could consider it a gift, not a loan.”
The checks were recorded as being for “consulting work,” Sheffield said, although Edwards did not actually perform any.
According to Sheffield’s testimony, sometimes the checks to Edwards were written on the same day RDI got paid by J5 GBL.
On cross examination, Rogers asked Sheffield why he felt Edwards needed the money.
“(J5) paid you $9 million,” Rogers said. “Does that sound like someone who needed money?”
“He wasn’t making money like we were making money,” Sheffield responded.
On questioning by Rogers, Sheffield said he had fallen and suffered a brain injury that affected his memory. However, he insisted that he remembered his dealing with Edwards clearly.
Rogers confronted Sheffield with an undated, typed document, bearing his signature, that simply stated that Edwards had performed consulting work on his behalf. Sheffield said it appeared to be his signature on the document, but said he didn’t remember signing it.
Mims questioned Sheffield on redirect and asked him about the document. Sheffield said he had met with Colom — who was representing Edwards at the time — at Colom’s office, and with Rogers and Richardson’s attorney, Victor Fleitas, on the phone.
Mims asked if Colom had given him the document, but Sheffield said he didn’t remember.
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 47 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 47 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
