Editor’s Note: This is the second of three stories we are sharing Thursday about the Lynn Haven corruption case. A status conference is scheduled in the case for Friday. That conference could determine how quickly the case will go to trial. A trial date is set for Monday, but that could be pushed back.
LYNN HAVEN, Fla. (WMBB) — After several years and multiple guilty pleas the Lynn Haven corruption case is headed to trial as early as next week.
The investigation began with the arrest of City Manager Mike White in a domestic battery case in March of 2019 and ballooned into charges of corruption involving multiple businesses and city officials.
The case is now left with two defendants, former Lynn Haven Mayor Margo Anderson and James Finch, the owner of Phoenix Construction. They are accused of fraud and bribery connected to five city projects before and after Hurricane Michael.
We have gathered information on each on the individuals in the case from court filings to offer their current status as the trial begins.
James Finch
STATUS: PLEADED NOT GUILTY
The owner of Phoenix Construction and one of the biggest business owners in The Panhandle. This isn’t the first time Finch has faced controversy. His company was involved in civil disputes over an underwater pipeline in the 1990s and the construction of the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport in the 2010s. In both cases, Finch won in court.
Finch is accused of bribery and fraud in multiple projects over the last 10 years in Lynn Haven.
Margo Anderson
STATUS: PLEADED NOT GUILTY
The former mayor of Lynn Haven frequently voted on city projects that were granted to Finch and Phoenix. When she voted Anderson always pointed out that she and Finch were close friends. However, prosecutors say Anderson illegally steered city business to Finch in exchange for luxury trips and an RV.
Antonious Barnes
STATUS: PLEADED GUILTY IN SEPARATE CASE
A former city commissioner, school administrator, and business owner. Barnes asked for and got a loan from Finch to help his insurance business. Finch describes the transaction as a loan. But prosecutors say it was a bribe that Barnes never paid back. Barnes plead guilty to an unrelated charge and is expected to testify against Finch.
Mike White
STATUS: PLEADED GUILTY
The former city manager for Lynn Haven. White is not related to two other men in the case, David “Mickey” White or Derwin White. The investigation into Lynn Haven began after Mike White was arrested in a domestic battery case.
Mike White is accused of accepting bribes and kickbacks from multiple companies doing business with the city while he was city manager. Prosecutors say White was also pressured by Anderson to funnel city business to Finch.
Mike White pleaded guilty to four counts in the case: conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and two counts of honest services wire fraud.
Adam Albritton
STATUS: PLEADED GUILTY
The former city attorney for Lynn Haven. He admitted to submitting fake invoices to his insurance company for free work he received from Erosion Control Specialists after Hurricane Michael. He also admitted to taking bribes for arranging a garbage contract for ECS without city commissioners’ knowledge.
David Horton
STATUS PLEADED GUILTY
Horton, the former head of leisure services for Lynn Haven, was accused of defrauding the city, federal emergency management officials, and taxpayers during the cleanup following Hurricane Michael. Horton admitted he knew documents he submitted to FEMA were false and that employees who were supposed to be doing cleanup work were in fact working on other projects.
Josh Anderson
STATUS: PLEADED GUILTY
Anderson was the owner of GreenLeaf Lawn Care. Prosecutors said he admitted to fraudulently billing Lynn Haven for more than $16,600 for lawn care services he claimed his company performed under a lawn care contract with the city, when in fact, all his employees were actually working on hurricane debris removal for another conspirator, Erosion Control Specialists (ECS) owner David Mitchell White.
David White
STATUS: PLEADED GUILTY
David White informed the court that he had done work for Mike White and other city officials and then billed the city for the work. White named Mayor Margo Anderson, City Attorney Adam Albritton and Lynn Haven Leisure Services Director David Horton and others as part of his statement. White is the nephew of Derwin White, the co-owner of GAC Construction Inc. and allegedly a one time target of the investigation.
Shannon Rodriguez
STATUS: PLEADED GUILTY
Rodriguez was an employee at Erosion Control Specialists. ECS billed for work that was never done, falsified records showing employees should get paid even when they weren’t working and took part in a sham bid for work at Sheffield Park.
Derwin White
STATUS: DECEASED
Derwin White was a co-owner of GAC Construction Inc. and according to court documents was once a target of the corruption investigation. He is also David White’s uncle. GAC was searched by the FBI and the subject of records requests involving government contracts during the corruption investigation. Defense attorneys for Finch and Anderson say White bribed investigators and was “the godfather” of Bay County. However, no charges were filed against White.
He died in July of 2021.
Chris Forehand
STATUS: Expected to testify
Forehand is an engineer who worked for several governments in Bay County including Lynn Haven. He also was the original owner of the RV that prosecutors say Finch bought as a bribe for Anderson. Along with Derwin White, defense attorneys have pointed to Forehand as being involved in illegal activity in connection to the case. Forehand has not been charged with a crime and is expected to testify against Anderson and Finch.
Lawrence Borghini
STATUS: Retired
Borghini was the lead investigator with the FBI on the case. Borghini is expected to testify about his investigation even though he is now retired. Attorneys for Finch and Anderson have accused Borghini of misconduct during his investigation, a claim he denies.
Stephen Kunz
STATUS: Ongoing
Kunz is one of two prosecutors, along with Andrew Grogan, overseeing the case. In court filings, the defense has worked to connect what they claim as misconduct by the prosecution to a case Kunz oversaw in the 1990s. In the Aisenberg case, Kunz was disciplined for misconduct and admonished by the Florida Bar. However, Kunz has worked as a prosecutor in North Florida for decades and recently prosecuted a similar corruption case in Tallahassee.
