Two more people indicted in CATS theft, conspiracy case

BATON ROUGE - Two more people were indicted as part of an investigation into theft and criminal conspiracy at the Capital Area Transportation System.

Terral "TJ" Jackson Jr. and Erica Jackson were both added to an earlier indictment on a count of theft of $25,000 or more and conspiracy to commit theft of $25,000. Both were booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish prison on Wednesday night.

Minutes from a September 2021 CATS meeting indicate Terral "TJ" Jackson was doing public relations work for CATS.

How this all started:

Arrest documents exclusively obtained by the WBRZ Investigative Unit say Thomas sent text messages to an unnamed individual around May 2021, indicating she received authority to change the public relations vendor on another CATS contract, which allowed her to add Broad Innovation Marketing Firm to the list of contractors.

Broad Innovation Marketing Firm, which is operated by the Jacksons, was awarded a contract with CATS in August of 2021. Documents said former CAO Pearlina Thomas approved invoices of more than $49,000.

The contract stated CATS' work with Broad Innovation Marketing Firm involved addressing a COVID-19 Mitigation Research Grant - Contactless Payment Project, but statements allegedly made by the Jacksons indicated the money was instead used to "galvanize the public to vote for the upcoming CATS millage."

Court records say funding would not have been awarded to Broad Innovation Marketing Firm "had it not been orchestrated by the Jacksons and the unnamed individual... then Thomas exerted her influence at CATS by circumventing CATS' procurement process and proper vetting of the vendor."

Thomas admitted to agents that she did not use the word "millage" in the contract due to her knowing it was illegal, documents said.

Last week, Thomas, CATS' former CAO, and Jarion "Jay" Colar were arrested with the same charges; Thomas also faces charges of prohibited use of public funds and malfeasance in office.

According to arrest warrants, Thomas approved a $50,000 contract to Jay Colar's company, Supreme Solutions Consulting, without following the proper approval process. In addition, investigators say they found no evidence that the work Colar was contracted to do was performed, but they also uncovered that the work that was turned in was fraudulent and copied from a report written by a transportation expert in Canada.

The initial indictment, which was filed by Attorney General Liz Murrill, says that Thomas, Colar, and one other person, identified as "C.D.," allegedly stole $25,000 between August 2021 and February 2022.

WBRZ has previously reported that "C.D." is Metro Councilmember Cleve Dunn.

Dunn started Colar's company, Supreme Solutions, in 2017. He appointed his wife, Stacey Posey Dunn, as the registered agent just days later. She used her maiden name in the paperwork.

The Supreme Solutions contract at the center of the case was awarded July 12, 2021, and Colar was signed as the registered agent a month later.