Mose Jefferson Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison

January 28, 2010 - MOSE JEFFERSON, age 67, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced today to ten (10) years (120 months) in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon for two counts of bribery in connection with a program receiving federal funds and two counts of obstruction of justice, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Lemmon ordered that JEFFERSON pay a $175,000 fine, $913,000 in restitution, and be placed on three (3) years of supervised release following the term of imprisonment, during which time the defendant will be under federal supervision and risks an additional term of imprisonment should she violate any terms of her supervised release.

Court documents show on August 21, 2009, JEFFERSON was convicted by a federal jury after a two week trial. According to evidence introduced at trial, the jury found that MOSE JEFFERSON paid former Orleans Parish School Board member, Ellenese Brooks-Simms two $50,000 bribes totaling $100,000 as a reward for Brooks-Simms’ support and approval of two Orleans Parish School Board contracts involving the lease of a computer-based educational software system called “I Can Learn.” When the contracts were approved in June, 2003 and November, 2004, MOSE JEFFERSON was an exclusive sales agent for the vendor who paid JEFFERSON approximately $913,168.21 in sales commissions for his role in securing the 2003 and 2004 contracts with the School Board.

Brooks-Simms, her daughter Stacy Simms, and Moliere have been convicted of federal felonies via guilty pleas in U.S. District Court.

The jury also found that after MOSE JEFFERSON discovered his activities were under investigation, he approached Brooks-Simms on several occasions and encouraged her to use several fabricated stories he had concocted to obstruct and impede the federal investigation.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division and the Department of Education, Office of Inspector General. The prosecution is being handled by Senior Litigation Counsel Salvador Perricone and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard R. Pickens, II and Michael M. Simpson.