Jury reaches verdict in Culver trial

Update: The jury has reached a verdict in the trial against Issac Culver.  He is guilty on all 13 counts, including conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Deliberation began in the U.S. Government versus Isaac Culver case Monday afternoon.

The jury called it a day just before 5 P.M. and is expected to reconvene Tuesday morning.

Day 6 of trial in the Bibb County School District fraud case picked up with defendant, Isaac Culver on the stand. Culver’s attorney, John Garland, asked Culver why he marked up the prices of the Ncomputing devices in 2012. Culver explained he wanted to make a profit, like any other business.

Good morning! I’m back and in court for the Culver trial. It’s day 6. We left off with Culver on the stand. The defense may still have some questions, then the government will cross-examine him. @41NBC pic.twitter.com/ntvIaIXbNa

— Edna Ruiz (@ednaruiztv) July 23, 2018

Culver also explained he was rushed by former Bibb County School Superintendent, Romain Dallemand to install new computers by the end of the school year. Culver explained the reason those nearly 15,000 Ncomputing devices are still sitting in a warehouse is because the BCSD did not want to buy the extra components needed, like mice, servers and Microsoft programs. Culver compared this project to trying to build a house. He says his PCTI team was ready but the school district did not provide him with the nails.

U.S. Attorney, Beth Howard, then cross-examined Culver and stated there was a lot things they don’t agree on. Howard asked Culver if he was in a rush, why did he lie to the school district? Howard stated Culver did not tell the school district was making money from the Ncomputing sale; the school district though it was paying CompTech. PCTI used CompTech as a “pass-through” for the General Services Administration (GSA) sale.

Howard says PCTI made $1.7 million in the sale of the Ncomputing devices and the school district did not get the 4,000 free computers, Ncomputing gave the school district.

Culver confessed that he did make a profit, but he “tried to be very conservative” with the prices.

Both parties ended with the closing arguments, recapping the evidence presented in 5 days.

Closing arguments are expected to begin at 11:45 am. I’m starting a new thread for those updates. Follow ??@41NBC

— Edna Ruiz (@ednaruiztv) July 23, 2018

The prosecution closed by questioning how a businessman with 20 years of experience could manage to fail this time. When the BCSD question Culver, he kept up with the charade and kept lying to the BCSD about how the purchase was made.

The defense then ended its argument with saying the BCSD “got what it paid for.” Garland continued by saying Culver was ashamed and knew he made a bad decision, but he was just trying to help. He wanted to be the one the save the BCSD from its technology problem and eventually help others as well.

Deliberation continues Tuesday at 9 AM.