DEKALB COUNTY, GA – Four defendants have now pleaded guilty in a DeKalb County corruption case involving two contract schemes that defrauded the State of Georgia out of nearly $200,000, according to DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office.
District Attorney Sherry Boston announced that the final two defendants entered guilty pleas on Monday, January 12, 2026, closing out the case assigned to the office’s Anti-Corruption Unit.
RICO Plea and Prison Sentence
Corey Alston, 48, pleaded guilty to violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act for his role in deceiving the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA). DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Courtney L. Johnson sentenced Alston to 20 years, with three years to be served in custody. As part of the sentence, Alston is barred from working for any government agency or holding any position involving public funds. He was also ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution to the state. His sentence will run concurrently with a federal prison sentence in an unrelated case.
Probation for Co-Conspirator
Quinton Tate, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the state. Judge Johnson sentenced Tate to five years of probation, imposed a $5,000 fine, and ordered 250 hours of community service. Tate is prohibited from government employment, government contracting, involvement in HUD-related programs, or any role with access to public funds. If he successfully completes probation, he will receive treatment under the First Offender Act.
Inside the Scheme
Alston and Tate were the last of four co-conspirators to resolve their cases. The others, Toyoa Andrews, 52, and Shawn Williams, 62, pleaded guilty in December.
Investigators determined that Williams served as director of DCA’s Housing Assistance Division from 2017 to 2019, while Andrews, her cousin, worked under her supervision. During that time, Williams and Andrews approved a cleaning contract for a DCA satellite office with a company owned by Andrews, even though cleaning services were already included through the building’s landlord. The state paid more than $64,000 under that contract…