Washington, DC, February 18, 2026 — The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has indicted three individuals for allegedly orchestrating bid rigging schemes affecting the sale of sports equipment to public schools in Mississippi.
A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Mississippi returned an indictment on Feb. 11 against Jon Christopher Burt, also known as Tank, Gerald Steven Lavender, also known as Jerry Lavender, and Jack Nelson Purvis Jr., also known as Jay Purvis.
According to the indictment, from approximately July 2010 through July 2023, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to rig bids for sports equipment contracts with Mississippi public schools. Prosecutors also allege that between June 2016 and September 2022, Burt participated in a separate bid-rigging conspiracy. The conduct allegedly affected at least 44 public schools and involved millions of dollars in taxpayer funds.
The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to circumvent Mississippi procurement laws requiring at least two competitive bids for contracts exceeding $5,000. They allegedly agreed in advance which company would win specific contracts and submitted complementary, higher-priced “second quotes” to create the appearance of competition. Some school coaches are identified as co-conspirators in the scheme.
The three defendants are charged with one count of violating Section 1 of the Sherman Act. Burt faces an additional count under the same provision.
The maximum penalty for individuals convicted under the Sherman Act is 10 years in prison and a criminal fine of up to $1 million. Fines may be increased to twice the gain derived from the offense or twice the loss suffered by victims, if either amount exceeds the statutory maximum. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge after consideration of the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case forms part of an ongoing federal investigation into bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the school sports equipment industry. The investigation is being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Office and the FBI, with assistance from the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.
The DOJ noted that an indictment is an allegation and that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
