News Roundup

Prosecutors: Ex-Councilman Won’t ‘rat’

Forbes.com
November 21, 2007
By Alan Sayre

NEW ORLEANS — A former City Council member who pleaded guilty to taking a bribe has refused to cooperate with an investigation into city corruption and should face a stiffer prison sentence, federal prosecutors say.

Oliver Thomas, once considered a shining light on the city’s political scene and a potential future mayor, resigned Aug. 13 after pleading guilty. As part of his plea bargain, Thomas agreed to provide information to prosecutors about other illegal activity to the government.

Thomas was scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday.

Thomas met twice with authorities and, during the second meeting, “indicated he did not wish to ‘rat’ on anyone and that his father and aunt did not wish him to be a ‘rat,’” according to a Nov. 13 letter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

In another filing on Nov. 15, prosecutors said that Thomas had failed to cooperate and asked U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance to impose a sentence higher than the 30 months to 37 months recommended by sentencing guidelines. He faces up to 10 years in prison.

“It became abundantly clear that defendant Thomas had relevant information, was adamantly refusing to provide it, and understood this was in violation of his agreement to do so,” the filing said.

U.S. Attorney Jim Letten could not comment on the filings, his office said. Thomas’ attorney, Clarence Roby, did not return a call for comment.

Thomas pleaded guilty to bribery by a public official and admitted that he took $15,000 from Stan “Pampy” Barre, a businessman who wanted to keep a parking lot contract he held under the administration of Mayor Ray Nagin’s predecessor, Marc Morial.

Barre has pleaded guilty to skimming about $1 million from an energy management services contract signed during the last days of Morial’s administration in 2002. He has been cooperating with federal investigators and has not yet been sentenced. Morial, now president of the National Urban League, has not been accused of wrongdoing.

Thomas’ resignation led to Saturday’s election of Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson to his council-at-large seat and the first white majority on the City Council in more than two decades. Thomas is black; Clarkson is white.