Woman Sentenced for Role in Home Elevation Program Bribery

NEW ORLEANS—Brianna LaFrance, age 31, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced to two years’ probation by the U.S. District Court Judge Jane Triche Milazzo after admitting she conspired to bribe a mitigation analyst in the state’s home elevation program, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten.

LaFrance pled guilty in February to a one count bill of information charging her with conspiracy to bribe an agent of an organization receiving federal funds. According to court documents, LAFRANCE assisted Rickey Davis in soliciting the assistance of Wanda Acker Williams, a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program analyst, to mine the state’s Office of Community Development/Disaster Recovery Unit database of homeowners eligible for federal funds from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is tasked with providing eligible homeowners with funding, up to $100,000 per homeowner, to elevate their houses to prevent future catastrophic loss from flooding. Williams received money from Davis in exchange for lists of names of eligible homeowners whom Davis could target to enter home elevation contracts. LaFrance facilitated two of the multiple exchanges between Davis and Williams.

The case is being investigated by Department of Homeland Security-OIG, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily K. Greenfield and Matthew Coman.

Drug Offender Pleads Guilty in Federal Court

NEW ORLEANS—Steve A. White, age 35, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today in federal court to conspiring to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten.

White pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to the offense. The defendant entered into a plea agreement, of which Judge Africk deferred his decision to accept. Should Judge Aftick accept the agreement, White will receive a sentence of between 262 and 300 months’ imprisonment.

According to court documents, the New Orleans Gang Task Force, made up of law enforcement agencies and headed up by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, had been investigating the trafficking of heroin in the New Orleans area. Agents identified White and co-conspirator Jerome Tumblin as suspects. After using a confidential informant to make three purchases of heroin from Tumblin, who obtained the heroin originally from White, agents conducted surveillance of White near his residence at 4926 Arts Street. With knowledge that White was about to distribute more heroin to Tumblin, on September 27, 2011, agents stopped White near his residence while he was en route to meet Tumblin. White had four ounces of heroin on him, which he intended to give to Tumblin.

In addition to pleading guilty to the conspiracy, White admitted that he had previously been convicted in Orleans Parish for possession of crack in 1994 and possession with intent to distribute crack in 2004, as well as two counts of distribution of cocaine in Jefferson Parish in 1996.

White was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2010, along with co-defendant Tumblin. Tumblin previously pleaded guilty to the conspiracy count as well.

This case was investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with members of the New Orleans Gang Task Force, which includes officers and deputies from the New Orleans Police Department and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin G. Boitmann and Harry W. McSherry.

Man Pleads Guilty to Bribery of Home Elevation Program Official

NEW ORLEANS—Rickey Davis, age 44, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Ivan L. R. Lemelle to a one-count bill of information charging him with bribing an agent of an organization receiving federal funds, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten.

According to the court documents, Davis was in the business of securing elevation contracts with homeowners for general contractors and sub-contractors in exchange for money. From on or about March 25, 2011 until on or about October 4, 2011, Davis was employed by a number of different elevation contractors. The profit to be made for an elevation contract was such that some of Davis’ partners would pay Davis $10,000 for every signed contract secured for their company.

On or about April 1, 2011, Davis bribed Wanda Acker Williams, an agent of OCD/DRU (state of Louisiana) in her capacity as a mitigation analyst of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) located in New Orleans, Louisiana, to get a list of eligible homeowner names from the computer system at the New Orleans office to give to Davis. Williams and other witnesses would testify that at this time, Davis wanted Williams to get him names of applicants from a proprietary list generated by HMGP.

Over the next few months, Williams provided Davis with approximately 10 lists of eligible homeowner names, some of which were duplicate lists of names Williams had previously generated for Davis. The lists were specific to the subdivisions, towns, and zipcodes requested by Davis, most of which were located on the Westbank of Orleans Parish. Each time Williams created a new list for Davis, he bribed her by corruptly giving her up to $1,000 in cash.

Davis is scheduled for sentencing on August 22, 2012. He faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. Williams pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges stemming from her receipt of these bribes on January 19, 2012. She is scheduled for sentencing on May 24, 2012.

The case is being investigated by Department of Homeland Security-OIG, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily K. Greenfield and Matthew Coman.

Metairie Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery

NEW ORLEANS—DAVID DUPLANTIS, age 52, a resident of Metairie, Louisiana, pleaded guilty yesterday to a one-count indictment for bank robbery before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten.

According to court documents, DUPLANTIS robbed the Whitney National Bank located in Metairie, Louisiana on November 17, 2011 of an undisclosed sum of United States currency. The deposits of the Whitney National Bank are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), an agency of the federal government. DUPLANTIS was later identified by relatives as the robber based upon photos posted on www.nola.com and in other media outlets. He admitted to family members that he was the bank robber before being apprehended.

Sentencing is set for June 19, 2012 and DUPLANTIS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of $250,000.00, and three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Violent Crime Unit.

Public’s Help Sought in Identifying the “Paw Paw Bandit”

NEW ORLEANS—David W. Welker, Special Agent in Charge of the New Orleans Division of the FBI, is joined today by Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand and Kenner Police Chief Steve Caraway in asking for the public’s help in identifying the “Paw Paw Bandit,” believed to have committed multiple bank robberies in Jefferson Parish.

The Paw Paw Bandit, who is so named because of his age, is believed to have committed at least four bank robberies in Jefferson Parish. His first three robberies were committed on a Friday around 5:00 p.m., during which he implied he had a weapon and wore sunglasses. The forth robbery was on a Saturday at approximately 11:00 a.m., and he did not imply a weapon. No injuries were reported during any of the incidents.

Based on descriptions provided by witnesses and bank surveillance images, the robber is described as a heavy-set white male, approximately 60 years old and 6 feet tall with grey hair. He wore a different baseball hat during each heist. He got away with an undisclosed amount of money from each bank.

The FBI, JPSO, and Kenner PD are looking into the following list of robberies possibly committed by this same individual:

■June 10, 2011, Whitney Bank, 2609 Veterans Blvd in Kenner, La. Suspect wore a light-colored hat with an Academy Sports logo.

■June 24, 2011, Capital One Bank, 1501 Veterans Boulevard, Metairie, La. Suspect wore a black hat with an unknown logo and a black t-shirt with basketball logo.

■July 8, 2011, Whitney Bank, 3060 North Causeway Boulevard, Metairie, La. Suspect wore a yellow hat.

■July 16, Capital One Bank branch located at 2200 N. Causeway Boulevard. Suspect wore a dark-colored hat.

Anyone with information about these bank robberies is asked to call the FBI at 504-816-3000. The Metropolitan Orleans Bank Security Association (MOBSA) and the FBI are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and indictment of this bank robber.

The public is asked to visit the website www.bandittrackerneworleans.com, featuring color photos and descriptions of these bank robbers along with others and fugitives throughout the FBI’s New Orleans Division, to see if they can assist the FBI in identifying and/or locating the captioned wanted individuals.

Fourteen Indicted on Federal Drug and Gun Charges

A 28-count federal indictment was unsealed today charging LANCE FOUCHA, age 30, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, ALVIN MINGO, age 38, a resident of Metarie, Louisiana, CHRIS GARNER, age 30, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, JEFFREY ANDERSON, age 32, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, ANTHONY LASTIE, age 32, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, KENTRELL PAUL, age 26, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, CARL FOUCHA, age 32, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, DONALD FOUCHA, age 34, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, THERON CAMPBELL, age 30, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, RHONDA SMITH, age 49, a resident of Kenner, Louisiana, ROBERT FRANCIS, age 23, a resident of Metairie, Louisiana, MARIO BURTON, age 24, a resident of Slidell, Louisiana, LARRY RAMEE, age 38, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, and BRIAN TURNER, age 38, a resident of Slidell, Louisiana, with violations of federal drug and gun laws, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten. To date, 11 of the 14 defendants are in custody.

Specifically, the indictment charges that beginning in approximately March, 2009 until July, 2010, the defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute fifty or more grams of crack cocaine and 500 or more grams powder cocaine. DONALD FOUCHA is also variously charged with six counts of distribution of crack and powder cocaine; and CARL FOUCHA and JEFFREY ANDERSON are each charged with one count of distribution of crack cocaine. LANCE FOUCHA is charged in two counts with distribution of crack cocaine as well as five counts of using a telephone in the commission of a drug trafficking crime. ALVIN MINGO is charged with six counts of using a telephone in the commission of a drug trafficking crime; and the remaining defendants are each charged with one count of using a telephone in the commission of a drug trafficking crime. MINGO is also charged with one count of possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm. ANDERSON is charged with one count of possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of crack cocaine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

If convicted, all 14 defendants face a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment and millions of dollars in fines.

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

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, New Orleans Police Department, and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Toomey.