UPDATE: FBI: Two Forsyth City Council Members Charged with Accepting Bribes

FORSYTH, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) –Forsyth City councilmen Desi Hansford and James Calloway have been charged with accepting bribes, according to court documents.

On Monday, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Hansford after he accepted bribes. Tuesday afternoon, Calloway was formerly indicted for soliciting and receiving bribe money.

On Monday, the FBI was watching from afar when Hansford met with Calloway at the Monroe County Youth Center. Agents listened in on the conversation, as Hansford receive the $5,000 bribery. When the councilman walked to the driver’s side of his car, he was arrested.

Hansford worked at the youth center as an assistant director and was scheduled to meet with coaches the night of the arrest.

“It was just a meeting about information on new uniforms, getting your team together probably, cause he’s around them all the time. He can probably name every kid out there,” said coach Gabriel Katzer.

When Hansford didn’t show up for the meeting, Katzer was told he had a family emergency. It wasn’t until the next day he found out that Hansford was arrested. On Tuesday afternoon, Hansford was once again scheduled to meet with coaches. Employees at the center would not confirm whether Hansford  showed up for the meeting.

According to the affidavit, Hansford, served on a committee that oversees the city’s electric, water and sewer utilities. In December 2012, Hansford and Calloway promised a privately-owned utilities company, a guaranteed bid for one of the city’s contracts in exchange for $20,000. Calloway told the company that a few council members were leaning towards another company, and in order to remain competitive, the company should reduce their bid and submit a payment.

In January 2012, the council members met with the president of the company at the Travel America truck stop in Jackson, Georgia. The company members were cooperating with law enforcement who recorded the meeting and the exchange of $10,000. The money was split between the Halloway and Hansford evenly.

In FBI Special Agent, Gregory McClendon’s affidavit, Hansford admitted to receiving the bribe in January when he “paid some bills with part of the money.”

According to affidavit, the company members cooperated during the investigation.