MACON, Ga. — A Macon Water Authority board member is in the Bibb County jail. He's charged with contempt of court.
The Monday hearing that got him there is the latest in a string of legal troubles for Desmond Brown, who joined the board last year. This case is completely different from what the Macon Water Authority is currently looking into.
According to the plaintiff's attorney, Samuel Alderman, this case dates back to 2005. That's when his client, Courtney Baldwin, started investing in Brown's business, 'D-Money Enterprises.'
A review by Macon Water Authority Special Counsel David Cooke says Brown, "Repeatedly told Baldwin that he would make Baldwin a millionaire through the power of compounding interest."
It explains that at the 2019 trial, Brown, "Admitted that the services listed by his company were never rendered."
Judge Verda Colvin ordered Brown to pay Baldwin $40,000 plus interest since 2011. In court Monday, Alderman argued that Brown failed to make any payments to Baldwin, and also failed to provide key post-judgment documents. The money and the documents were ordered February 19, 2020.
"He did get the order from Judge Colvin," Alderman said during the hearing. "He did nothing about it until his feet were held to the fire."
Brown said he didn't know he had to respond. He mentioned he had filed for bankruptcy. Neither Alderman or Judge Williford had record of that.
"I thought I had an attorney communicating with him and every other party," he told Judge Connie Williford. "That is my testimony, Your Honor."
In court Monday, Brown did produce some documents requested, like bank statements. One document was an email from a receptionist at his lawyer's office that said there must have been some mistake, and that Brown never finished filing. 13WMAZ reached out to that attorney. He said he wasn't representing Brown and hadn't seen him since July 2019.
The office provided a timeline that detailed Brown's business with the attorney. Brown's last appointment scheduled was October 7, 2020. He didn't show.
In court, Brown asked Judge Williford to give him time. He said multiple times his attorney wasn't there to represent him.
"Please allow me to get with my attorney and ask him, 'Did he send it?' and, 'What is going on here?" he asked the judge.
He also said he could start providing $350 monthly payments to Baldwin.
In the end, Judge Williford said the documents he provided weren't enough.
"All of these documents that were requested of you, and you come in here with a grocery bag full of stuff piled up to make it look like you have responded," Williford told Brown.
Brown will be held in the Bibb County Jail until he provides the necessary documents.