Warner Robins, Georgia 31093
Saturday, July 8
Bill Schwind, CEO
Southeastern Xpress Lube
830 116th Avenue
Treasure Island, Florida 33706
Dear Mr. Schwind:
My wife, Amanda, was an inmate on work release, residing at the Metro Women's Transitional Center at 1303 Constitution Road in Atlanta.
In October she was hired to work at Atlanta Xpress Lube and Brakes, 2065 Mt. Zion Road in Morrow. Shortly thereafter, she was physically abused and raped on at least four occasions by her manager, Patrick Pettis, a convicted felon and employee of your company. This activity took place on your company property at the address above.
A month later, Pettis began blackmailing my wife, extorting in excess of $40,000.00 from her in total. On February 14, he fired her because she could no longer supply him with money. The bank account containing our house fund, the account from which the cashiers checks payable to Pettis were drawn, had been exhausted.
Amanda told me she was not the only inmate who has been victimized. Others who came before her were physically and sexually abused, under constant threat that they would be sent back to prison if they didn't comply. This activity took place at Atlanta Xpress Lube and other businesses. The short length of the work release program, combined with the constant influx of new inmates insured no lack of potential women to victimize.
If an inmate is fired from her place of employment while in the work release program, she would be returned to prison to serve out the remainder of her sentence. Yet for some reason, instead of being sent back to prison after Pettis fired her, Amanda was released on parole a month later. This leads me to believe guards or administrators at the Metro Women's Transitional Center were recipients of bribes, either directly or through Pettis.
In early-March I called Sharon Campbell, Superintendent of the Transitional Center, to inform her I knew of the rapes and extortion, and intended to go to the media and district attorney unless she took appropriate action. Campbell responded by dispatching Rick Jacobs, Director of Special Operations, to my apartment in Rome, Georgia. He threatened if I didn't remain silent, he would incarcerate me.
It's apparent this is potentially the largest prison scandal in Georgia history, even larger than the sexual misconduct by the guards at the Georgia Women's Correctional Institution in Milledgeville fifteen years ago.
I am writing to you today to ascertain your level of involvement in this scandal. Your liability is beyond question: the events described took place on your property, committed by one of your employees. The larger question is who else is involved, because it is to my understanding Pettis simply isn't bright enough to pull this off alone.
I anticipate hearing from you soon.
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