‘Crime against humanity’: Former operations manager of Prichard water system pleads guilty to fraud scheme

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) — The former operations manager of the water system that serves Prichard and Chickasaw pleaded guilty Friday to federal charges, marking the culmination of an investigation that began nearly four years ago with raids on the utility’s headquarters and the home of Nia Bradley.

A Day of Reckoning

Friday represented a pivotal moment in a case that federal prosecutors say involved orchestrated schemes costing the Prichard board millions of dollars—funds that may have pushed the utility into default on a $55 million loan.

Nia Malika Bradley took responsibility for a multi-layered conspiracy that prosecutors allege enriched her and others. Bradley, who served as operations manager of the Prichard Water Works and Sewer Board until her resignation in April 2021, pleaded guilty to:

• Conspiracy to commit mail, bank, and wire fraud
• Conspiracy to defraud the United States
• Money laundering conspiracy
• Wire fraud (one count)
• Bank fraud (one count)
• Filing a false tax return (one count)

Prosecutors say Bradley defrauded the utility of approximately $2.5 million.

“Nia has accepted responsibility for what she did and she admitted to what she did from day one,” said ChaLea Tisdale, Bradley’s defense attorney. “I think there have been some allegations and accusations of things she did that she did not do—and those are things we have worked out during this process.”

Investigation Reveals Elaborate Conspiracy

The investigation began in early 2022 with a federal raid on the water board’s headquarters in Prichard. Days later, investigators searched Bradley’s home in West Mobile, removing thousands of consumer goods that authorities say she purchased with her utility-issued credit card, including Nike and Adidas shoes, Louis Vuitton bags, and other high-end luxury items.

While federal court documents focus on other aspects of the fraud, court records indicate approximately $30,000 in repairs was charged to the card for a rental home Bradley owned with co-defendant Randy Burden through their company B & B Enterprise Group.

The Multi-Layered Scheme

Court records reveal the conspiracy involved two board members and three outside contractors, with prosecutors asserting that Bradley was the mastermind.

The Fake Company Scheme: Prosecutors say Bradley persuaded Ayanna Payton, a board member at the time, to recruit friend Stephanie Hunn to establish a fake company that billed the utility just over $1 million for work never performed. Both Payton and Hunn previously pleaded guilty. According to prosecutors, Bradley, Payton, and a second board member—named as an unindicted conspirator—each received 30 percent of these funds, with Hunn receiving the remaining 10 percent.

The Rental Property Repairs: Bradley also admitted to arranging for two companies to perform work on rental properties owned by B&B Enterprise, with these expenses fraudulently billed to the water board.

Incomplete System Repairs: A third outside contractor pleaded guilty to receiving utility payments for system repairs he never completed. A portion of that money went to Bradley and Burden.

Related Guilty Pleas

The conspiracy has resulted in multiple guilty pleas:

• Randy Burden (co-defendant, B&B Enterprise Group owner): Pleaded guilty last week
• Steve Jones (contractor): Pleaded guilty Monday
• Ayanna Payton (former board member): Previously pleaded guilty
• Stephanie Hunn (company operator): Previously pleaded guilty

Charges remain pending against two other contractors involved in the scheme.

Tax Fraud Component

The tax fraud count to which Bradley pleaded guilty involves a 2021 Form 1040 that understated her income by more than $140,000.

Community Impact

One Prichard resident expressed the sentiment of many affected by the scheme.

“Right is right. Wrong is wrong,” said Gabriel Dortch, a Prichard resident. “What Nia Bradley did is a crime against humanity. She really single-handedly bankrupted this utility. A municipality without water—then what? The water is vital. We have to have it. I hope everything works out for the citizens.”

Putting the Numbers in Perspective

To underscore the severity of the fraud, the $2.5 million defrauded from the utility exceeds the amount the water system shorted on its bond repayment fund—the very shortfall that prompted a judge to declare the system in default on its loan.

What’s Next

Bradley’s sentencing is scheduled for July 9, 2026. The case continues to highlight vulnerabilities in municipal utility oversight and the devastating consequences fraud can have on essential services that communities depend on.

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