Ex-New Orleans mayor charged with bribery, fraud

[Ban Hammer 13,333]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was indicted Friday on charges that he used his office for personal gain, accepting payoffs, free trips and gratuities from contractors while the city was struggling to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

The charges against Nagin are the outgrowth of a City Hall corruption investigation that already has resulted in guilty pleas by two former city officials and two businessmen and a prison sentence for a former city vendor.

The federal indictment accuses Nagin of accepting more than $160,000 in bribes and truckloads of free granite for his family business in exchange for promoting the interests of a local businessman who secured millions of dollars in city contract work after the 2005 hurricane. The businessman, Frank Fradella, pleaded guilty in June to bribery conspiracy and securities-fraud charges and has been cooperating with federal authorities.

Nagin, 56, also is charged with accepting at least $60,000 in payoffs from another businessman, Rodney Williams, for his help in securing city contracts for architectural, engineering and management services work. Williams, who was president of Three Fold Consultants LLC, pleaded guilty Dec. 5 to a conspiracy charge.

The indictment also accuses Nagin of getting free private jet and limousine services to New York from an unidentified businessman. Nagin is accused of agreeing to wave tax penalties that the businessman owed to the city on a delinquent tax bill in 2006.

In 2010, Greg Meffert, a former technology official and deputy mayor under Nagin, pleaded guilty to charges he took bribes and kickbacks in exchange for steering city contracts to businessman Mark St. Pierre. Anthony Jones, who served as the city's chief technology officer in Nagin's administration, also pleaded guilty to taking payoffs.

Meffert cooperated with the government in its case against St. Pierre, who was convicted in May 2011 of charges that include conspiracy, bribery and money laundering.

Nagin, a former cable television executive, was a political novice before being elected to his first term as mayor in 2002, buoyed by strong support from white voters. He cast himself a reform-minded progressive who wasn't bound by party affiliations, as he snubbed fellow Democrat Kathleen Blanco and endorsed Republican Bobby Jindal's unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign in 2003.

Katrina elevated Nagin to the national stage, where he gained a reputation for colorful and sometimes cringe-inducing rhetoric.

During a radio interview broadcast in the storm's early aftermath, he angrily pleaded with federal officials to "get every doggone Greyhound bus line in the country and get their asses moving to New Orleans." In January 2006, he apologized for a Martin Luther King Day speech in which he predicted New Orleans would be a "chocolate city" and asserted that "God was mad at America."

Strong support from black voters helped Nagin win re-election in 2006 despite widespread criticism of his post-Katrina leadership. But the glacial pace of rebuilding, a surge in violent crime and the budding City Hall corruption investigation chipped away at Nagin's popularity during his second term.

Nagin could not seek a third consecutive term because of term limits. Mitch Landrieu, who ran against Nagin in 2006, succeeded him in 2010.

Aaron Bennett, a businessman awaiting sentencing in a separate bribery case, told The Times-Picayune that he introduced Nagin to Fradella specifically to help the mayor get Home Depot granite installation work for a business that he and his sons founded. Fradella's company received millions of dollars in city contracts for repair work at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and in the French Quarter after Katrina, the newspaper reported.

Some of the allegations in the indictment have been the subject of state ethics complaints. In April 2010, the Louisiana Board of Ethics charged Nagin with two possible violations of state ethics law.

One charge involves Nagin's "use of a credit card and/or gifts" from St. Pierre and his technology firm, NetMethods, while the company was working for the city. NetMethods paid for Nagin and his family to travel to Jamaica in 2005 and to Hawaii in 2004, according to newspaper reports.

In the other charge, the Ethics Board says Stone Age LLC, the Nagin family's business, was compensated for installation services provided to Home Depot while the home improvement retailer was negotiating tax breaks from the city.

Nagin has largely steered clear of the political arena since he left office. On his Twitter account, he describes his current occupations as author, public speaker and "green energy entrepreneur." He wrote a self-published memoir called "Katrina's Secrets: Storms After the Storm."

Nagin's attorney, Robert Jenkins, didn't immediately return cellphone calls seeking comment on the indictment.

link

"Katrina's Secrets: Storms After the Storm." - he can add another chapter to it now.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was indicted Friday on charges that he used his office for personal gain, accepting payoffs, free trips and gratuities from contractors while the city was struggling to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

The charges against Nagin are the outgrowth of a City Hall corruption investigation that already has resulted in guilty pleas by two former city officials and two businessmen and a prison sentence for a former city vendor.

The federal indictment accuses Nagin of accepting more than $160,000 in bribes and truckloads of free granite for his family business in exchange for promoting the interests of a local businessman who secured millions of dollars in city contract work after the 2005 hurricane. The businessman, Frank Fradella, pleaded guilty in June to bribery conspiracy and securities-fraud charges and has been cooperating with federal authorities.

Nagin, 56, also is charged with accepting at least $60,000 in payoffs from another businessman, Rodney Williams, for his help in securing city contracts for architectural, engineering and management services work. Williams, who was president of Three Fold Consultants LLC, pleaded guilty Dec. 5 to a conspiracy charge.

The indictment also accuses Nagin of getting free private jet and limousine services to New York from an unidentified businessman. Nagin is accused of agreeing to wave tax penalties that the businessman owed to the city on a delinquent tax bill in 2006.

In 2010, Greg Meffert, a former technology official and deputy mayor under Nagin, pleaded guilty to charges he took bribes and kickbacks in exchange for steering city contracts to businessman Mark St. Pierre. Anthony Jones, who served as the city's chief technology officer in Nagin's administration, also pleaded guilty to taking payoffs.

Meffert cooperated with the government in its case against St. Pierre, who was convicted in May 2011 of charges that include conspiracy, bribery and money laundering.

Nagin, a former cable television executive, was a political novice before being elected to his first term as mayor in 2002, buoyed by strong support from white voters. He cast himself a reform-minded progressive who wasn't bound by party affiliations, as he snubbed fellow Democrat Kathleen Blanco and endorsed Republican Bobby Jindal's unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign in 2003.

Katrina elevated Nagin to the national stage, where he gained a reputation for colorful and sometimes cringe-inducing rhetoric.

During a radio interview broadcast in the storm's early aftermath, he angrily pleaded with federal officials to "get every doggone Greyhound bus line in the country and get their asses moving to New Orleans." In January 2006, he apologized for a Martin Luther King Day speech in which he predicted New Orleans would be a "chocolate city" and asserted that "God was mad at America."

Strong support from black voters helped Nagin win re-election in 2006 despite widespread criticism of his post-Katrina leadership. But the glacial pace of rebuilding, a surge in violent crime and the budding City Hall corruption investigation chipped away at Nagin's popularity during his second term.

Nagin could not seek a third consecutive term because of term limits. Mitch Landrieu, who ran against Nagin in 2006, succeeded him in 2010.

Aaron Bennett, a businessman awaiting sentencing in a separate bribery case, told The Times-Picayune that he introduced Nagin to Fradella specifically to help the mayor get Home Depot granite installation work for a business that he and his sons founded. Fradella's company received millions of dollars in city contracts for repair work at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and in the French Quarter after Katrina, the newspaper reported.

Some of the allegations in the indictment have been the subject of state ethics complaints. In April 2010, the Louisiana Board of Ethics charged Nagin with two possible violations of state ethics law.

One charge involves Nagin's "use of a credit card and/or gifts" from St. Pierre and his technology firm, NetMethods, while the company was working for the city. NetMethods paid for Nagin and his family to travel to Jamaica in 2005 and to Hawaii in 2004, according to newspaper reports.

In the other charge, the Ethics Board says Stone Age LLC, the Nagin family's business, was compensated for installation services provided to Home Depot while the home improvement retailer was negotiating tax breaks from the city.

Nagin has largely steered clear of the political arena since he left office. On his Twitter account, he describes his current occupations as author, public speaker and "green energy entrepreneur." He wrote a self-published memoir called "Katrina's Secrets: Storms After the Storm."

Nagin's attorney, Robert Jenkins, didn't immediately return cellphone calls seeking comment on the indictment.

link

"Katrina's Secrets: Storms After the Storm." - he can add another chapter to it now.

Say it ain't so ??? The man who failed to evacuate his city the blamed Bush for all of it. Not Ray "we gonna make this a chocolate city again".. Can't imagine that guy profiting off Katrina.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Strong support from black voters helped Nagin win re-election in 2006 despite widespread criticism of his post-Katrina leadership.

There always has to be a demeaning racial element to these stories.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

There always has to be a demeaning racial element to these stories.

I agree why do they have to bring a race element into stories.. So unfair to make things about race..

"Nagin also stated that New Orleans "will be a majority African-American city. It's the way God wants it to be."

Shortly after, Nagin continued, "We as black people, it's time, it's time for us to come together. It's time for us to rebuild a New Orleans, the one that should be a chocolate New Orleans. And I don't care what people are saying Uptown or wherever they are. This city will be chocolate at the end of the day."

[Danno 1,228]

I agree why do they have to bring a race element into stories.. So unfair to make things about race..

"Nagin also stated that New Orleans "will be a majority African-American city. It's the way God wants it to be."

Shortly after, Nagin continued, "We as black people, it's time, it's time for us to come together. It's time for us to rebuild a New Orleans, the one that should be a chocolate New Orleans. And I don't care what people are saying Uptown or wherever they are. This city will be chocolate at the end of the day."

Why fight it, everything that can be about race... is about race.

It's not getting better it's getting worse.

When I was a pup, I thought those days had already passed, the reality is, it only takes a small number of people to keep it going and as we see.. growing.

No better example of that than Obama, a man who spent 2 decades in a church where race was a core doctrine and becomes a national leader.

[Darnell 8,478]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was indicted Friday on charges that he used his office for personal gain, accepting payoffs, free trips and gratuities from contractors while the city was struggling to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

It's about time ! Yay !

[Darnell 8,478]

I agree why do they have to bring a race element into stories.. So unfair to make things about race..

Alas, Nagin made it about race, after the hurricane. I mean, Day 1 after the hurricane. He'd not let up, since then.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

the trash needs to leave DFW and go back to NOLA as well with all the other TRASH that is from there. Leave DFW, leave Houston, and get the F out of Texas!

[Darnell 8,478]

yes, there were many imports from N.O. that year after, you betcha !

Houston crime rate increased 600 percent that first year, about 2/3 of it attributed to N.O. transplants.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

yes, there were many imports from N.O. that year after, you betcha !

Houston crime rate increased 600 percent that first year, about 2/3 of it attributed to N.O. transplants.

How can that be, with all those gun carrying Texans fighting crime daily?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

How can that be, with all those gun carrying Texans fighting crime daily?

I guess the less armed folks from New Orleans have diluted the gun ownership rates in Houston causing crime to go up. I wonder why they don't just put out free gun racks in Texas instead of paying police officers. It would certainly be cheaper and obviously crime would drop to near nothing in no time flat.

[natty bumppo 297]

1358617257[/url]' post='5931124']

I guess the less armed folks from New Orleans have diluted the gun ownership rates in Houston causing crime to go up. I wonder why they don't just put out free gun racks in Texas instead of paying police officers. It would certainly be cheaper and obviously crime would drop to near nothing in no time flat.

Would this be the single shot, bolt action, semi-auto, or pump action "gun rack" you'd be wanting them to give out?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Would this be the single shot, bolt action, semi-auto, or pump action "gun rack" you'd be wanting them to give out?

Does it really matter? I keep hearing that more guns reduce crime. I haven't yet heard that only certain guns cause crime to drop so I'd assume that any gun would do.

[natty bumppo 297]

1358618266[/url]' post='5931149']

Does it really matter? I keep hearing that more guns reduce crime. I haven't yet heard that only certain guns cause crime to drop so I'd assume that any gun would do.

Well what do you want people to do with all them free "gun racks"? Besides lug them around ?Wouldn't a baseball bat be a little smaller, lighter, and easier to use vs tossing a "gun rack" at a bad guy.

A "gun rack" isn't exactly a firearm ... Got it?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Well what do you want people to do with all them free "gun racks"? Besides lug them around ?Wouldn't a baseball bat be a little smaller, lighter, and easier to use vs tossing a "gun rack" at a bad guy.

A "gun rack" isn't exactly a firearm ... Got it?

I had stocked gun racks in mind so that people could help themselves to the crime lowering goods.