Undercover demolition man left out in the cold after bringing corrupt officials to book.
Sidney Johnson’s modest home is surrounded by a mountain of junk. He feels most comfortable under a hot Texas sun with a bandana tied around his head using a bulldozer to collect scrap.
Yet the “junk man,” as he jokingly refers to himself, became the most unlikely of spies to come in from the heat and enter the cold, calculating world of the greedy politician.
His undercover work for the FBI over the last five years helped bust a string of public officials across Waller County who previously had evaded other probes, authorities said.
To date, a mayor, justice of the peace, public works director and two aldermen have pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud taxpayers by soliciting kickbacks. Many believe more heads will roll as investigators try to end an apparent systemic culture of corruption that had infected this rural county west of Houston.
“Now I just want my life back,” said Johnson, 47, who said he’s lost nearly everything since taking his stand against corruption.
Speaking publicly for the first time, Johnson said he’s been blackballed by local governments who have canceled contracts and avoided hiring his once-thriving recycling and demolition company. He also faces foreclosure on his main property for $23,882 owed in back taxes, and all his heavy equipment has been repossessed.
In addition, he’s embarrassed that he cannot provide properly for his children or his wife, Judy, who suffers from an autoimmune disorder and requires a caretaker.
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