Lynn Haven Mayor Margo Anderson and City Attorney Adam Albritton arrested

LYNN HAVEN, Fla. (WJHG) - UPDATE 08/19/2020 1:40 p.m.:

Lynn Haven Mayor Margo Anderson and Lynn Haven City Attorney Adam Albritton have been indicted on federal fraud charges connected to Hurricane Michael debris clean up.

“Today’s indictment, which charges that Mayor Anderson and City Attorney Albritton, were not only aware of the agreement and subsequent fraudulent activity, but they actively participated in it themselves,” said Assistant United State Attorney Stephen Kunz during a press conference Wednesday.

The indictment alleges that Lynn Haven Mayor Margo Anderson and Lynn Haven City Attorney Adam Albritton were aware and participated in the debris pickup scheme that stole money from the government after Hurricane Michael.

The indictment accused Mayor Anderson of using ECS to provide debris removal and repairs to her home, her mothers home, and her neighbors home. The services totaled $48,000 but were claimed as services for public areas in Lynn Haven.

The indictment accused Albritton of using ECS to provide debris removal and repairs to his and his girlfriend’s home totaling in $25,000. The repairs were also claimed as services to public areas of Lynn Haven.

The indictment alleges that both Anderson and Albritton solicited and received bribes or kickbacks from city projects that they approved.

According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mayor Margo Anderson helped a company known in the indictment as “Company B” win multiple multi-million dollar contracts for the City of Lynn Haven since 2015. The indictment also accuses Mayor Anderson of accepting trips in a private airplane, lodging on a private yacht, meals, and entertainment from the owner of “Company B”. The indictment alleges that Mayor Anderson and her husband received a $106,000 motorhome from “Company B” in February of 2018, before Hurricane Michael. The motorhome was seen being seized by federal agents on Wednesday, August 19.

The indictment says Mayor Anderson signed off on multiple checks including invoices from ECS totaling in $5 million from October 26, 2018 and March 2019.

“The common thread in today’s indictment and the November indictment is simply this- an egregious abuse of power and position by people in public service who betrayed their sacred duties and corrupted the public’s trust,” said United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, Lawrence Keefe.

UPDATE 10:25 a.m.: Lynn Haven Mayor Margo Anderson and Lynn Haven City Attorney Adam Albritton have been arrested according to the City Manager Vickie Gainer.

Gainer sent out an official statement regarding the arrests. An emergency Commission meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday to discuss how the city will move forward.

“I learned earlier this morning that Mayor Margo Anderson was arrested of Federal Charges at her residence in Jacksonville, Florida. Lynn Haven City Attorney Adam Albritton was also arrested this morning at a residence in Panama City on Federal Charges. I have no other information at this time. We will hold and an Emergency Commission Meeting today at City Hall at 4:30 PM, to move forward under the circumstances. We will await any information from the U.S Attorney’s Office that they can and will release. We will continue to be transparent with our residents, and our employees. Again, I have no further information at this time.”

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The Bay County Sheriff’s Department and FBI were seen hauling boxes and other items out of a recreational vehicle this morning on the property of Lynn Haven Mayor Margo Anderson.

Authorities seized the recreational vehicle after removing the items. No additional information is available at this time.

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