A trial date is set for a Murray businessman and employee indicted on wire fraud charges.
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee set the date for January 13, 2020 for Charles "Chuck" Jones and Mark Whitaker.
Prosecutors allege Jones and Whitaker participated in a scheme to defraud the E-Rate Program. The federal program provided schools with Internet and telecommunications funding.
An indictment said Jones and Whitaker provided money and other gifts to a co-conspirator to steer business toward Jones’ now-shuttered tech businesses.
Jones has said the charges are false and are intended to defame his character.
His attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the case earlier this month, claiming the schools received the services they were promised at competitive prices.
The indictment states Jones’ companies received approximately $8.5 million from the E-Rate Program.
