OXFORD, Miss. – A federal grand jury has indicted two Mississippi sports equipment company owners and a sales professional, alleging they orchestrated long-running bid-rigging conspiracies that defrauded dozens of public schools and diverted millions of taxpayer dollars.
Jon Christopher Burt, also known as “Tank,” 56, and Gerald Steven Lavender, also known as “Jerry Lavender,” 73, both of Columbus, along with Jack Nelson Purvis Jr., also known as “Jay Purvis,” 60, of Laurel, were charged in an indictment returned Feb. 11 and announced by the Justice Department.
The indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, alleges the men conspired to eliminate competition for school sports equipment contracts, violating state procurement laws designed to ensure taxpayers receive fair value.
According to court documents, from approximately July 2010 through July 2023, Burt, Lavender, and Purvis engaged in a conspiracy to rig bids. A separate charge alleges Burt also participated in a second bid-rigging conspiracy from approximately June 2016 through September 2022. The schemes affected at least 44 public schools and involved millions of dollars in public funds.
Prosecutors allege the defendants worked with co-conspirators, including some school coaches, to circumvent Mississippi law requiring at least two competitive bids for purchases over $5,000. The group allegedly agreed in advance who would win a particular contract, then submitted complementary, intentionally higher-priced bids—often called “second quotes”—to create the false appearance of competition.
“Where our country sees an opportunity for children to shine, the defendants conspired to rig bids to benefit themselves,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Daniel Glad of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Public school funding — in this case for school sports — enriches the lives of these students in Mississippi and will be protected from fraudulent schemes.”
The charges strike at the heart of Mississippi’s system for equipping school athletic programs. By manipulating the bidding process, authorities say the defendants not only padded their own pockets but also deprived students and schools of the full value of taxpayer-funded resources.
“Stealing from public schools is stealing from the American people – plain and simple,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the FBI’s Jackson Field Office. “The egregious fraud carried out through bid-rigging schemes represents a blatant betrayal of public trust.”
Burt, Lavender, and Purvis each face one count of violating Section 1 of the Sherman Act, the nation’s primary antitrust law. Burt faces an additional count for the second alleged conspiracy. If convicted, each defendant could face up to 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain from the crime or twice the loss suffered by victims, whichever is greater.
Officials are also encouraging whistleblowers with information about similar schemes to come forward, noting that those who provide original information leading to recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible for rewards ranging from 15 to 30 percent of the money collected.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.