In what seems like a never ending vicious cycle of corruption, the FBI began an investigation known as ‘Operation Blighted Officials’. So far, it has already nabbed 3 local officials and the investigation may not be over.
Earlier today, federal officials announced that a federal grand jury had returned an indictment against 40 year old New Roads resident, Thomas A. Nelson, Jr. Nelson is mayor of New Roads, a town located across the Mississippi River from St. Francisville, in Pointe Coupee Parish.
Nelson is charged with violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1962, and forfeiture. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
The indictment alleges the following:
• That Nelson obtained over $22,000 in cash and other items of value, such as tickets to sporting events, luxury hotel rooms, and meals from certain businesses in exchange for using his position as mayor for the benefit of certain businesses in connection with transactions Nelson believed were worth over $6,000,000.
• In exchange for cash and other items of value, Nelson used the city’s robocall system to promote support among residents for the city contracting for the business people’s conceptual product, the Cifer 5000; that he proposed a city ordinance favorable to the Cifer 5000 and caused notices of such to be printed in the local newspaper; that the passage of a resolution in support of the Cifer 5000 by the state legislature, signed and submitted an official letter of support which he believed would be used to cause $2,000,000 to $3,000,000 in private funding for the Cifer 5000; signed and submitted an official letter of support directed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in connection with a $4,000,000 grant request for the Cifer 5000; and guaranteed that the Cifer 5000 would receive a contract with the city.
Indictments were also returned against 45 year old White Castle mayor Maurice Brown and 40 year old Chief of Police Mario Brown.
The Browns are charged with 20 counts of violating the RICO Act, mail fraud, wire fraud, and use of an interstate facility in aid of racketeering, and forfeiture. Maurice Brown faces up to 170 years in prison and a $3,250,000 fine if convicted. Mario Brown faces up to145 years in prison and a $3,000,000 fine.
The indictment alleges that the Browns obtained cash and other items of value worth in excess of $10,000 from certain businesses in exchange for using their official positions with the Town of White Castle for the benefit of those businesses, in connection with transactions represented to be worth over $5,000,000. According to the indictment, the offenses allegedly occurred in connection with 3 bribery schemes involving the defendants.
The indictment alleges the following:
• That one of the bribery schemes involved Maurice Brown obtaining cash and other items of value from businesses in exchange for using his position as mayor to promote and to obtain money for the business’ conceptual product known as the “Cifer 5000.” The Cifer 5000 was marketed as an automated waste container cleaning system using specially designed and equipped trucks to clean and sanitize commercial and residential waste containers.
• That a second bribery scheme involved the defendants obtaining cash and other items of value from businesses in exchange for Mario Brown using false representation to obtain confidential law enforcement information from the FBI and providing such information to one of the businesses.
• That a third bribery scheme involved Mario Brown obtaining cash from one of the businesses in exchange for using his position as chief of police to fraudulently obtain leniency for an individual facing drug charges in Connecticut.
The FBI’s press release indicates that the investigation is ongoing.
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