By David Hammer, WWL Louisiana Investigator NEW ORLEANS — A new report by the New Orleans inspector general finds City Hall has handed over too much control to private, third-party building safety inspectors, whose work was often shoddy or failed to follow protocols and yet, until very recently, it was generally rubber-stamped by the city’s...
wdsu.com By Cassie Schirm, Investigative Reporter Updated: 11:32 AM CST Dec 6, 2024 NEW ORLEANS — Money down the drain — a $6 million contract signed by the former director of the Orleans Parish Communication District is at the center of a new scathing report. The Office of the Inspector General found documents were altered...
By Rob Masson NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Former New Orleans Police Officer pleaded guilty Tuesday (Nov. 26) in federal court to six charges of wire fraud. The plea comes weeks before Morrell was set to stand trial on 12 counts tied to payroll fraud, which federal prosecutors say occurred between 2017-21. Continue Reading
nola.com BY JOHN SIMERMAN | Staff Writer Former New Orleans police bomb squad leader Todd Morrell pleaded guilty Tuesday to six counts of wire fraud stemming from a federal indictment that accused him of double dipping or not showing up to work for the police department or his off-duty detail with the Fair Grounds Patrol. Morrell, who retired...
By Lee Zurik, Dannah Sauer and Ashlyn Brothers Published: Sep. 20, 2024 at 4:50 PM CDT NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – A federal grand jury has indicted Leessa Augustine, a former Sewerage and Water Board employee and reserve officer with the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), for multiple charges, including fraud and identity theft. The indictment accuses Augustine of “double-dipping,” wrongfully...
Verite News, by Katie Jane Fernelius A city of New Orleans agency that’s responsible for tens of millions of dollars in tax breaks is in need of a standardized and transparent set of policies for determining which projects should receive the incentives, according to a city watchdog. A public letter issued Tuesday (Aug. 6) by New...
WWL Louisiana, by Alyssa Curtis NEW ORLEANS — Former New Orleans 911 center director Tyrell Morris appeared in court as the criminal case against him moves forward. Morris is charged with malfeasance in office, false personation of a peace officer, insurance fraud and second-degree public records injuring. The charges came after a WWL Investigation revealed Morris tried...
WDSU.com Cassie Schirm, Investigative Reporter The latest Inspector General report uncovers concerns about financial expenditures from the mayor’s shuttered nonprofit Forward Together New Orleans. After serious allegations of ethical misconduct, the IG subpoenaed the organization’s financials and its conversation with city leaders. What the IG found is there were conflicts of interest regarding how money...
nola.com BY BEN MYERS | Staff writer The New Orleans City Council on Thursday adopted a series of measures aimed at preventing conflicts of interest and fraud in city contracts, a response to the “smart cities” scandal that erupted at City Hall two years ago. The ordinances, which passed unanimously, require city employees to include all types...
nola.com BY JEFF ADELSON | Staff writer The Orleans Parish Assessor’s Office and the city’s Office of Inspector General found hundreds of improper homestead exemptions and removed them from the property tax rolls last year, Assessor Erroll Williams announced Wednesday. The clean-up included the discovery of numerous properties receiving the exemption even though the owner...
