Entry posted by Kopaka's Ice Engineering
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Behold, the end of C. Ray Nagin's trial on counts of bribery during his term as mayor of New Orleans.
...courtesy WDSU, NBC affiliate in New Orleans, LA (and whose offices are catercorner from my office (parking lots both open to Carondelet St)).NEW ORLEANS —Former New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. A recommendation was made to assign him to the federal penitentiary in Oakdale, La. with a report date of Sept. 8.
Nagin spoke briefly before he learned his fate, thanking the judge for her professionalism throughout his trial.
Nagin was accompanied by family members and by his attorney, Robert Jenkins, as he arrived at the courthouse Wednesday morning.
Those family members -- his wife, father, mother and sister -- left without comment. Nagin left from a rear exit and did not speak to reporters.
The primary prosecutors exited the courthouse at 10:30 a.m.
"A very significant, strong sentence -- strong message," Matt Coman said. "We'd like to thank the members of the community. They came forward and offered evidence and testimony.
"What Ray Nagin did was sell his office over and over and over again. The damage that Ray Nagin inflicted on this community is incalculable."
Follow developments on the WDSU Livewire
U.S. District Court Judge Ginger Berrigan passed sentence about 10:10 a.m. -- just 10 minutes after court convened. The sentence is below most expectations and is less than the sentence recommended by a sentencing commission.
In addition to Nagin's prison sentence, he must pay $84,264 in restitution. In May, Berrigan signed a preliminary order of forfeiture, granting forfeiture in the amount of $501,200.
Nagin is expected to appeal his conviction.
Nagin was convicted Feb. 12 of accepting bribes and payoffs from businessmen who wanted work from the city or Nagin's support for various projects. The bribes came in the form of money, free vacation trips and truckloads of free granite for his family business.
The 58-year-old Democrat had defiantly denied any wrongdoing after his 2013 indictment and during his February trial.
A media throng gathered at the courthouse early Wednesday to cover the sentencing proceedings.
Nagin is the first mayor of the city to be convicted on felony counts. He was expected to receive a prison sentence in excess of 15 years for crimes that include bribery and money laundering.
In one of the final developments before sentencing, Nagin's wife, Seletha, and his two sons sent letters to Berrigan professing his innocence. Seletha Nagin asked for sentencing to be put off until a federal report on misconduct within the local office of the U.S. Attorney is complete.
“Our elected officials are entrusted to place the interests of the citizens above their own,” stated U.S. Attorney Kenneth Polite. “When they violate that trust and break the law, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will pursue them zealously and bring them to justice.”
“Today marks the end of a sad chapter for our city," New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said in a statement. "The people of New Orleans are turning the page and moving forward."
I've wanted to post about my computer for a few weeks now, but I haven't gotten around to it. This, this is something I couldn't delay in posting, not when I borrow one of his most famous lines to entitle my blog.
It would behoove me to learn more about this text editor, too, should time permit.
In the interim, I'll simply say that I'm not dead yet, and that two girls a wonderful, except when big sister acts out on little sister.
-KIE
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