RICO Lawsuits

Against The Georgia Attorney General and University System of Georgia

 

Anthony Tricoli

In March of 2012, the head budget officer reported a $4 million surplus to the Georgia Perimeter College (GPC) president.  Less than a month later, in April of 2012, the same GPC budget officer reported a multi-million dollar deficit. The University System of Georgia (USG) said they had known for three years GPC was running a $25 million deficit and pillories Tricoli in the press, forcing him to resign. All but $7 million of the $25 million remains unaccounted for today.  The Attorney General (AG) promised to investigate but instead let USG audit itself. USG admitted having a double set of books, false reporting to the president, and said that it can’t say whether fraud or theft was committed. USG refused Tricoli a hearing. The AG admitted last month he never investigated claims of fraud, collusion, or admitted falsification of budget reports with two sets of books kept, one for Tricoli and one for the USG.

 

A gifted and driven educator, Dr. Tricoli nearly doubled the African American student body population at Georgia Perimeter College, with praiseworthy graduation rates. Just months before his firing, the American Association of University Professors selected Dr. Tricoli as the top college president in the nation for “Leadership in Governance” and presented him with the coveted Ralph S. Brown Award. Dr. Tricoli, who served as an inspirational role model for his students because he was a homeless teenager who became a true American success story after he graduated from Harvard, lost his home, once again, along with pension and savings, as a result of the unjustified firing.  In response to the Tricoli lawsuit, the AG claims sovereign immunity for everyone.

 

Denise Caldon

The Assistant to the President of Macon State College was asked to falsify leave reports on which state pension payments are based.  Nine days after refusing to knowingly falsify the official state reports, which is a crime, the president fired Caldon on the spot. USG and AG defend the firing, claiming Caldon was fired for “fussing” at the president—whom USG knew to be mentally incompetent. USG and the AG admit they never investigated claims of whistleblower retaliation.

 

The president retired and is collecting his pension based on knowingly falsified reports today. Ms. Caldon, a widow of a veteran with 3 children, lost her home, her pension and all of her savings. In response to the Caldon lawsuit, the AG claims sovereign immunity for everyone.

 

Dezso Benedek

A professor who had his study abroad programs shut down after criticizing President Michael Adams asked for an investigation. The AG responded by agreeing to Adams’ request for action against the professor to revoke his tenure, claiming he committed academic fraud. The professor kept his job only after it is proven at an evidentiary hearing that the Adams administration and AG knew the charges were false, hid documents proving the charges were false, manufactured false evidence in the place of the hidden documents, and committed perjury at the hearing. USG and the AG both admit they never investigated documentation of evidence tampering, mail fraud, wire fraud, identity theft, perjury, and other criminal activity that sits in USG files today.

 

A political refugee from Romania, Benedek, 63, has taught comparative literature at UGA for 25 years. Benedek, who stood up to Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu in the 1970s, said he hopes his lawsuit will expose the injustices committed by state and university officials that destroyed his career and his academic reputation.  "I came here because of the constitution of this country," said Benedek. When asked if his constitutional rights have been protected, Benedek said no. "That has been one of the greatest disappointments in my life," said Benedek.  In response to the Benedek lawsuit, the AG claims sovereign immunity for everyone

 

Anthony Tricoli’s case is pending before Judge Dan Coursey, who has set a hearing for September 22, at 9:30 a.m. in DeKalb Superior Court. Olens' court filings don't dispute facts in the lawsuit, but he has requested that the court dismiss the complaints because state workers are immune from civil lawsuits.

 

Some of those involved in the lawsuits include:

Kasee Laster was a UGA employee, now departed, who swore under oath at the tenure revocation hearing that exculpatory documents—since discovered by Appellant—did not exist.

Jane Gatewood was a UGA employee—who is now departed and successfully evaded service in the separate action--who testified under oath to Appellee’s possession of the exculpatory Jilin memo that was withheld by the Attorney General. Gatewood, along with Michael Adams, were signatories to the exculpatory documents denied under oath by Laster.

Judith Shaw, as described above, was a UGA employee who ordered termination of UGA’s Jilin program--that was created by Appellant. Shaw then urged legal action against Appellant, falsely blaming him for the termination of UGA’s Jilin program, for which she was responsible.

Noel Fallows impersonated UGA students, sending their private information out without their knowledge in violation of federal student privacy law, logged on to computer systems in their names in violation of the Georgia Computer Systems Protection Act, and committed other criminal offenses for the purpose of manufacturing false evidence to support the knowingly false charges. Fallows also gave perjured testimony on, inter alia, the manufactured evidence, under oath at the tenure revocation hearing, with the knowledge of and at the direction of the Attorney General of Georgia.

Sam Olens is the Attorney General of Georgia, a proposed co-defendant and co-conspirator who is defending this action, arguing sovereign immunity for all concerned.