Columbus Officials Accused of Bid Rigging | Hattiesburg News

In Columbus, a major corruption bust is unfolding: former city councilman Joseph Mickens Jr. and contractor Marcus Dawson are arrested for allegedly rigging bids to funnel city contracts and cash through a fake flooring scheme. Mickens’ company was supposed to win the job, but in exchange, he allegedly helped Dawson’s firm secure future HVAC contracts — with Dawson pocketing payments before rerouting them to Mickens. If convicted, Mickens faces up to 30 years and $500K in fines; Dawson could get 10 years and $10K. This case exposes how public trust can be shattered by backroom deals — and it’s far from over. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/13958e3b14bcfb3a