A longtime assistant to State Representative John Rogers (D-Birmingham) has been indicted on 21 federal charges in an ongoing corruption probe that has already led to the conviction of then-State Rep. Fred Plump (D-Fairfied).
Varrie Johnson Kindall is 58 years old and lives in Chelsea.
Plump is the founder and executive director of the Piper Davis Youth Baseball League. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and obstruction of justice in federal court in Birmingham. Plump resigned his seat in the Alabama House of Representatives on May 31 as part of his plea deal with federal prosecutors.
Plump, age 76, admits to having taken about $200,000 of the $400,000 that was allocated to the Piper Davis Youth Baseball League by Rep. Rogers before Plump was elected to the legislature. That money was then allocated to “Coach” Plump by Rep. Rogers for the rec league that Plump ran. Plump, in his plea agreement, says that he gave that money to Mrs. Kindall, with whom he claims to have been romantically involved.
“Plump understood that if he did not give half of the money to them, Legislator #1 would not direct Fund money to Piper Davis,” prosecutors wrote.
The payments took place between 2018 and 2022 before Plump took office. In 2022, Plump challenged veteran incumbent Rep. Rod Scott (D-Fairfield) with the help of Rogers and other Democratic lawmakers who accused Scott of working across the aisle with Republicans too much. Plump narrowly defeated Scott in the Democratic primary runoff.
Prosecutors claim that after Plump was informed by federal agents that there was a probe underway, prosecutors claim Plump tried to obstruct the investigation by texting Kindall and giving her a “red alert” about the investigation even though he was warned not to disclose these facts.
Plump will be sentenced for his role in this scandal on October 23. Prosecutors are recommending a more lenient sentence as part of his cooperation in the plea deal.
Kindall is charged with 14 counts of wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, two counts of obstruction of justice, one count of money laundering, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, according to the indictment Thursday.
Plump pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of obstruction of justice.
Rogers has denied being involved in any illegal activity. Rogers has identified himself as the unnamed legislator mentioned in the Plump court documents.
Kindall is already facing federal charges for allegedly collecting federal retirements on both of her parents for years after they were already dead.
Kindall is being defended by noted trial attorney Jim Parkman.
The special Democratic primary in Coach Plump’s vacant House District 55 is scheduled for Tuesday, September 26.
Kenneth Coachman, Travis Hendrix, Ves Marable, Cara McClure, Phyllis Oden-Jones, Sylvia Swayne, and Antwon Womack are all running for the open House seat. No Republican qualified to run for the seat.
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