Men plead guilty to kickback scheme at Wayne school district

Danny Lee Langley, 54, of Snow Hill, the school district's former maintenance director, pleaded guilty to bribery. Earl Wayne Rhodes, 58, of Pikeville, Langley's former assistant, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery.

Both men will be sentenced later. Langley faces up to 10 years in federal prison, while Rhodes faces up to five years.

Prosecutors said the men helped All-American Roofing and Construction Inc., a Johnston County roofing contractor, win bids for various school roofing projects between 2002 and 2009. All-American Roofing would then give them kickbacks for steering work its way.

Between 2004-05 and 2008-09, All-American Roofing won more than $2 million in contracts from the school district, accounting for more than half of the annual roofing budget in some years, prosecutors said.

All-American Roofing would submit fake invoices to account for the kickback, listing the money paid to Langley and Rhodes as "job materials," prosecutors said.

Company owner Pamela Carol Turner, 45, of Selma, pleaded guilty to structuring deposits to evade bank reporting requirements. Her associate, David Lee Tedder, 50, of Selma, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery.

Turner and Tedder are awaiting sentencing.