Chatham County Housing Authority executive director signs plea agreement for conspiracy to commit wire fraud

The Chatham County Housing Authority executive director who was federally indicted in late February has signed a plea agreement, court documents show.

Court documents obtained by WRAL News show JoAnn Johnson Davis agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The federal charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years and a maximum fine of $1 million.

Davis filed the signed plea agreement on Thursday in the federal system. She initially faced 19 counts in the indictment, including wire and program fraud, aggravated identity theft and making false statements.

This plea agreement is still subject to a judge's approval, and no hearing has been set as of Friday for Johnson. If the plea agreement is accepted by a judge, the U.S. attorneys will not oppose the motion to dismiss the remaining counts.

Prosecutors say Johnson’s scheme entailed friends and relatives submitting bids for Chatham County Housing Authority projects. Johnson-Barrett, Little and an unindicted co-conspirator who is now dead would generate fake proposals using stolen identities and related company letterhead of actual people and businesses to compete against bid proposals submitted by friends and relatives.

Davis would select bids from a friend or family member, knowing there had been no competitive bid process. Prosecutors said, sometimes, no work was done. Other times, they said a different friend or family member would perform the work.

From 2016-2020, prosecutors said the CCHA awarded small purchase contracts to at least 13 friends or relatives of Davis without a competitive bid process. Prosecutors said the CCHA paid more than $200,000 to friends and relatives for alleged work during that time. Davis made much of the money back, with co-conspirators constantly kicking back cash, prosecutors said.

The cash kickbacks to Davis ranged from $800 to $4,500.

Director of Chatham Housing Authority faces fraud, identity theft charges

Davis' attorney did not respond to WRAL News’ request for comment.

Four co-conspirators are also charged: Clintess Barrett-Johnson, Mi'Chelle Necole Bell-Johnson, Robert Johnson Jr. and Candace Agatha Brunson-Poole.

WRAL News also reached out to attorneys for all four co-conspirators in this case, who have pleaded not guilty. Clintess Roberta Barrett-Johnson and Candace Brunson-Poodle’s attorneys declined to comment. Robert Johnson and Mi’Chelle Bell-Johnson attorneys did not respond.