Rep. John Rogers ready to fight federal obstruction, bribery counts

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Representative John Rogers is now on track for trial in a federal fraud case. Rogers was arraigned Thursday at the Hugo L. Black U.S. Courthouse.

Rogers pleaded not guilty to obstruction of justice and obstruction of justice by bribery.

“Now we will go over discovery and look at pretrial motions,” explained John Robbins, Rogers’ defense attorney. “Representative Rogers wants this to move quickly, but it’s hard to tell right now.

Court records allege Rogers attempted to bribe an unnamed person to give false information to FBI and IRS agents in exchange for money for their organization. It’s something Rogers strongly denies.

“As he said in court very definitively, he’s not guilty. We look forward to our day in court. Now the fun begins,” Robbins added.

Rogers is charged alongside Varrie Johnson Kindall in a superseding indictment. Kindall faces 25 counts ranging from mail and wire fraud to obstruction of justice and money laundering.

This indictment stems from the same investigation that led former Representative Fred Plump Jr. to resign from the Alabama House of Representatives earlier this year. In June 2023, Plump pleaded guilty to an information charge of conspiracy.

Court records allege the three defendants were involved in a kickback scheme using tax dollars from the Jefferson County Community Service Fund, created to support local organizations.

As a member of the Alabama House of Representatives, Rogers could direct those funds to organizations of his choice. Court records show Rogers was allocated $500,000 from 2018 through 2022. The indictment cites Rogers directed nearly $400,000 of those funds to Piper Davis, Plump’s youth baseball organization. In turn, Plump gave almost $200,000 to Kindall, which she deposited in personal accounts.

“It was part of the conspiracy that John Rogers, with defendant Varrie Johnson Kindall’s assistance, would and did recommend that most of defendant John Rogers’ allotment of Fund money be paid to Piper Davis each fiscal year. Further, defendant Varrie Johson Kindall would and did require that Fred Lee Plump, Jr. pay kickbacks to her from Fund money directed to Piper Davis by defendant John Rogers,” the superseding indictment states.

According to court records, when Rogers and Kindall learned about the federal investigation into the fraud scheme, they attempted to obstruct justice by offering an unnamed person grant money for their organization in exchange for giving false information to federal agents.

Robbins say it’s unclear whether they will be tried together.

“That decision hasn’t been made,” Robbins stated. “I don’t represent Ms. Kindall and I’m not sure how she’s going to proceed with her charges.”

During Thursday’s arraignment, the judge indicated Rogers and Kindall were living together, and ordered both not to speak to each other about their cases. Rogers indicated he was only staying with her following a hip surgery and hoped to be cleared by the doctor Thursday to return home.

“He’s owned a home since 1962 here in Birmingham,” Robbins said of Rogers. “He’s rehabbing from hip surgery and residing with Ms. Kindall. She lives in Chelsea, she is acting as a caretaker and a caretaker only.”

The indictment indicates Kindall had a romantic relationship with Rogers and Plump.

Rogers says he will not resign in light of the indictment.

No trial date has been set for Rogers or Kindall. Plump will be sentenced later this month.

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