Police Captain Charged

NOPD Captain and Security Company Owner Charged with Wire Fraud Involving Kickback Scheme for FEMA Funds


June 23, 2010 - NEW ORLEANS—MICHAEL ROUSSEL, age 46, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana and a captain with the New Orleans Police Department, and JOSEPH BRANCH, age 37, a resident of Brownsboro, Texas and owner of Gladius, Inc., were charged in a criminal complaint with being involved in a wire fraud scheme to pay and to receive kickbacks under a contract to provide armed security guards following a hurricane, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten and David Welker, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to the complaint, on approximately June 14, 2010, a Confidential Witness (CW) who works in the Security Department for a large multi-national corporation (Company) located in New Orleans, Louisiana, notified the FBI that ROUSSEL contacted him and told him that he (ROUSSEL) had a friend who lived in Texas and owned a company that provided security services wherein GLADIUS would provide armed guards to the Company after a hurricane. It is alleged that ROUSELL told the CW that if the CW gave ROUSSELL’s friend a contract, ROUSSEL’s friend would “kick-back” money to both ROUSSEL and the CW.

Further according to the complaint, the CW subsequently met with ROUSSEL and BRANCH in New Orleans and during this meeting, they agreed to an hourly rate of $89.50 per hour per guard with an inflated portion of approximately $15.00 per hour, per guard. The CW, BRANCH, and ROUSSELL then agreed to split the $15.00 inflated fraudulent charge equally. On June 22, 2010, the CW, ROUSSEL, and BRANCH were scheduled to meet at the company’s offices in New Orleans, Louisiana, and sign a contract that included the inflated prices.

If convicted of the wire fraud, BRANCH and ROUSSEL face a maximum term of imprisonment of thirty (30) years maximum, a $1,000,000 fine, and a five (5) year term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. Both defendants are scheduled to appear for an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Louis Moore, Jr. at 2:00 p.m. today.

U.S. Attorney Letten reiterated that the complaint is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The investigation is being conducted by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael W. Magner and Brian J. Capitelli.