NEW ORLEANS -- The former police chief of Independence pleaded guilty in federal court to deprivation of rights under color of law.
"According to the factual basis, Maurer caused his deputies to provide false information on their voter registration forms indicating that they lived in the voting district when, in fact, they did not," said a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office. "The purpose of the false voter registration was to enable the deputies to vote in the February 2, 2008 election. Their ineligible votes in that election deprived the voters of Tangipahoa Parish of their right to an undiluted election."
Frank Edwards took over for Anthony Maurer, who turned in his letter of resignation Thursday, January 7. The Town Council accepted his resignation.
Maurer faces a maximum one-year prison sentence, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office and will be sentenced June 15.
Maurer was elected police chief in February 2008, and the investigation began with complaints to the Metropolitan Crime Commission.
"A number of people from the Town of Independence called and came in," said Tony Radosti, the vice-president of the Metropolitan Crime Commission. "They were telling us about people being registered to vote in the city who were not residents."
Radosti said, information the MCC gathered was then turned over to the FBI, which led to the charges.
