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Prosecutors: Georgia man sentenced for Atlanta airport bribe

Published  September 29, 2020 7:58pm EDT
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Associated Press

ATLANTA - A Georgia man was sentenced to nearly two years in prison for bribing an Atlanta official to win a contract to operate a restaurant at the city’s airport, the U.S. attorney’s office said Tuesday.

Hayat Choudhary paid an officer in Atlanta’s Department of Procurement $20,000 for the restaurant contract, prosecutors said. The officer was overseeing the bidding process.

Choudhary, 58, of Lilburn, is the CEO of Atlanta Airport Shuttle Services, Inc.

Hyatt Choudhary (FOX 5)

Prosecutors say the restaurant at the Ground Transportation Building at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was intended to serve the growing number of taxi, limousine and rideshare drivers at the airport.

The city announced the restaurant opportunity in May 2017 and projected it would generate $200,000 in annual revenue.

“The public expects that government contracts are awarded solely based on merit,” U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak said in a statement. “As the defendant learned, there are serious consequences for those who believe they can bribe their way into a contract.”