Judge sets trial date for former Prichard water utility manager in embezzlement case

By Brendan Kirby

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - A federal judge on Thursday set a trial date for the former operations manager of the Prichard water system and several co-defendants charged in a massive embezzlement scheme.

That trial will be in February, four years to the month after federal agents raided the headquarters of the Prichard Water Works & Sewer Board.

Federal prosecutors allege that Nia Malika Bradley, 51, and others used utility-issued credit cards to make hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of personal purchases. The alleged fraud totals nearly $2.5 million, according to the allegations in an indictment unsealed in April.

The raid in February 2022 touched off a dark chapter in the troubled utility’s history. A judge ruled that the board defaulted on $55.78 million it borrowed in 2019. He stripped the board of its authority and appointed an outside expert to take charge of the system. Efforts to craft a financial turnaround remain ongoing, with mixed results so far.

Ayanna Payton, who was a board member during Bradley’s tenure as operations manager, secretly pleaded guilty in 2023 to participating in the conspiracy. A friend of hers, Stephanie Hunn, also has pleaded guilty. Both await sentencing.

Payton admitted that she falsified payment authorizations and received kickbacks. Hunn admitted she created a fictitious business and false invoices to justify unlawful payments to herself and three contractors.

The indictment alleges that Bradley received part of those payments as kickbacks and that she and co-defendant Randy Burden falsified payment authorizations. Prosecutors also allege that they laundered more than $960,000 in unlawful payments through a business that they owned together called B&B Enterprise.

Along with Bradley and Burden, three contractors also are set to go on trial in February – Steve Jones, who owned a business called Unlimited Automotive Repairs; Larry Knight, who owned K&M Quality Paint Company; and Dejuan Lamar, who owned Lamar Custom Millwork.

Prosecutors allege Jones and Knight each received more than $700,000 and that Lamar got $90,000.

Read more: Judge sets trial date for former Prichard water utility manager in embezzlement case

Trump Floats Housing Emergency to Lower Costs

President Donald Trump said Thursday he is considering declaring a national emergency over housing, signaling a possible escalation in his push to rein in soaring home prices and make buying a house more affordable.

“I’m looking at it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. He said his goal is to protect homeowners who have seen their property values surge while also making it easier for younger and first-time buyers to enter the market.

"I want to take care of the people that have houses, that have a value to the house that they never thought possible, that have sort of made them wealthy and happy, especially in their later years. I want to keep them up. At the same time, I want to make it possible for people to go buy houses,” Trump said.

The remarks mark the most explicit confirmation yet that Trump is weighing emergency powers to address housing affordability, an idea his administration has quietly floated for months. Earlier this year, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the White House was exploring whether a housing emergency declaration could be used to accelerate construction, ease regulatory hurdles and reduce costs tied to building materials.

Trump has repeatedly linked high housing costs to elevated interest rates, zoning restrictions and limited supply, arguing that Washington should push for faster homebuilding and lower borrowing costs. He has also said he wants the Federal Reserve to move more aggressively on rate cuts — a stance that has drawn heightened attention as he interviews candidates to replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

Policy options discussed publicly by administration officials and outside advisers have included fast-tracking permits on federally controlled land, encouraging local governments to loosen zoning rules, lowering closing costs for buyers and reviewing tariffs that have raised construction expenses. Critics note that emergency powers would not automatically override local land-use laws, which play a major role in housing supply.

Trump has never declared a national housing emergency in any of his terms, but he has frequently used emergency authorities on issues such as border security and trade, making clear he is willing to test the limits of executive power if he believes a crisis warrants it.

Housing affordability remains a top concern for voters as prices and mortgage rates, though easing recently, remain near multi-year highs. Trump said Thursday he wants to strike a balance between preserving homeowners’ wealth and opening the door for new buyers — a challenge likely to shape housing policy debates heading into 2026.

Read more : Trump Floats Housing Emergency to Lower Costs | Newsmax.com