The state of Georgia has moved for the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a pardoned pharmacist to recover the half a million in restitution paid for his role in the looting of a community health center.
The motion filed by Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr was filed Tuesday, Oct. 4 in the federal lawsuit brought by John Duncan Fordham last month. Former President Donald Trump pardoned Fordham on Jan. 19, 2021.
Fordham was one of four people former Georgia Rep. Robin Williams brought into a scheme to bilk the region’s mental health center where Williams’ friend Michael Brockman was the executive director. In all, the health care fraud investigation found more than $2 million was stolen from the Community Mental Health Center of East Central Georgia.
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Fordham and the others were convicted in 2005. Fordham, who operated Duncan Drugs, got a lucrative contract to run the mental health center’s pharmacy which include $1 million in incentive bonuses. Fordham kicked back a chunk of that cash to Williams.
Fordham was sentenced to 52 months in prison, and he agreed to forfeit $500,000 to the state of Georgia to pay off some of the $1 million he and Williams were ordered to pay in restitution. After his release from prison, Fordham began making monthly payments on the restitution until the federal judge relieved Fordham of further obligations to pay the restitution.
Citing prior cases in which people sought to recover what they had paid in restitution following a pardon, Carr’s office contends a pardon does not restore money or property already vested in others. In Fordham’s case, the restitution was assigned to the insurance company that covered the community mental health center and the state’s Department of Administrative Services.
Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter covering courts for The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com.
