By Jonathan Carlson

ATLANTA, GA (WGCL) -- Atlanta’s former Deputy Chief of Staff Evelyn Katrina Taylor-Parks entered a guilty plea in federal court Wednesday for her role in the corruption scandal plaguing Atlanta City Hall.

Parks said in court, at the time, she didn’t see her actions as being illegal. Now she does. The U.S Attorney disputed that, claiming he has evidence she was well aware what she was doing was wrong.

The FBI said make no mistake about it, Parks was given great trust as the Deputy Chief of Staff. Instead, the FBI said she used her position to better serve her own financial interests.

Parks served as Deputy Chief of Staff for eight years, under Mayor Kasim Reed and briefly Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

According to the U.S. Attorney, Parks conspired to accept bribes from a vendor with the City of Atlanta. The vendor paid Parks thousands of dollars in exchange for city contract work.

The U.S. Attorney said she even filed financial disclosure statements with the city that were falsified.

As part of a plea agreement, Parks faces a maximum of five years in prison and up to three years of supervised release. She will also have to pay restitution, and forfeit any and all proceeds gained.

After court, Parks attorney told the media, she would be cooperating with investigators. To what extent remains unknown, but it will likely reduce her sentence, which is coming in November.

Parks told the CBS46 Bulldog exclusively, after leaving court, she was "devastated" by the proceedings, and would have more to say at a later date.

Current Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued a statement:

“The people of Atlanta deserve better and should have a government that works honestly on their behalf. It is both tragic and disappointing that individuals who have had the privilege of serving Atlanta have ruined their personal and professional reputations for ill-gotten gain.

“I remain committed to leading our Administration in full cooperation with the authorities to ensure a fair and swift closure to this unfortunate chapter in our city’s history. Just as we have in the past, we will rise and emerge on the other side of this a stronger city and more connected community.”