NEW ORLEANS - Former chief technology officer Greg Meffert, his wife Linda and city vendor Mark St. Pierre have been indicted on federal corruption charges.
Meffert, his wife and St. Pierre were charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, money laundering, false statements to FBI special agents and filing false tax returns after a federal grand jury returned a 63-count indictment, said Letten. (See the indictment | See indictment fact sheet)
The three indicted, said Letten, “used Meffert’s position with the city to manipulate procurement process for technology services to provide millions of dollars in city business funds to St. Pierre and his companies, who illegally made payoffs or kickbacks to Meffert and his wife Linda or to their direct benefit.”
“Specifically the indictment alleges that Meffert changed city procedures in order to ensure St. Pierre’s companies would receive city business without participating in a competitive bid process,” said Letten, also ensuring that prime contractors served only as a conduit for work directed by Meffert to St. Pierre and his companies.”
Letten added that Meffert failed to disclose his interests in the companies.
Meffert allegedly “approved and facilitated payment to St. Pierre’s companies through a prime contractor of approximately more than $4 million from between 2004 and 2006 and in or about 2006 directed the order of crime cameras for the city of New Orleans through a no-bid process, which permitted St. Pierre to purchase cameras from a out-of-state manufacturer and resell them to Dell Inc, which resold them to the city for St. Pierre to install.”
Monday, a jury found that Meffert conspired with Dell computers and St. Pierre's company NetMethods to unfairly compete against two local technology firms -- Southern Electronics and Active Solutions, awarding the companies $16.3 million.
Letten said that investigation that led to the indictment is not over and is continuing. Letten would not comment whether Mayor Ray Nagin, who hired Meffert, was a future target of federal investigators. He also wouldn’t say if the Mefferts or St. Pierre were cooperating with investigators.
In June federal authorities confirmed a criminal investigation involving the former top aide to Mayor Ray Nagin. The investigation reportedly centered on possible wrong-doing in "the city's technology office, crime camera contracts and unspecified related matters."
Evidence brought up in a civil trial showed Meffert was given a credit card to help technology contractor Mark St. Pierre drum up business. And that Meffert collected technology fees of $67,000 dollars a month immediately upon leaving city hall.
