College reaches settlement in alleged theft

Published 9:46 am Wednesday, March 1, 2006

ROME — Berry College officials said Tuesday that the private school had reached a $2.35 million civil settlement with two alleged co-conspirators of a former employee accused of stealing more than $450,000 through real estate and timber deals.

North Georgia Forest Products Inc. and its president, R. David Bain, have paid Berry to settle the claims against them almost a year after a Superior Court judge ruled that the case could go before a jury, the college said.

The college filed a civil complaint in December 2002 after Robert Parker, who was responsible for acquiring property for Berry, was indicted on 24 counts of theft.

The indictment claimed Parker arranged with land buyers to buy property after false appraisals inflated the value before recommending the deal to Berry. In return, Parker allegedly received a cut of the sale.

Attorneys representing defendants in the case either could not be reached or declined to comment on the settlement Tuesday.

Berry’s claims against Parker are still pending trial in Superior Court, as are the criminal charges against him, according to District Attorney Leigh Patterson.