OT Jeffersons whole family are going to the slammer for heavy time
Analysts say Jeffersons facing daunting indictment
10:30 PM CDT on Wednesday, June 4, 2008
WWLTV.com
It's a 47-page indictment that accuses 4th District Tax Assessor Betty Jefferson, her brother Mose and her daughter Angela Coleman of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from non-profit groups they set up.
Non-profits like the Bridge Program, created to provide educational support for pregnant teens; Project Chance, designed to focus on broad problems of black males nine to 21; a program designed to beautify Central City and another non-profit program to give housing assistance.
U.S. Attorney Jim Letten alleges at least $627,000 in state grant money, and $60,000 in federal grant money given to support these programs were instead funneled into accounts the defendants controlled and used for their personal benefit.
“The indictment in question, we believe, is important because it reveals and lays bare the mechanisms through which nonprofits can be or are created and actually used for personal gain contrary to their original stated purposes,” he said at Wednesday’s press conference.
As one example, Letten said $178,000 in state funds was granted for Project Chance during the fiscal year June 2001 to July 2002.
The indictment alleges the money was awarded to hire support staff, but instead, the defendants listed people like Mose Jefferson's handyman, and a full-time employee of the tax assessor's office, who never received salary or benefits for positions with Project Chance.
“We're talking about money allocated by federal and state governments for local charities so there's a record of that money going into that bank account,” said DuBos. “Then checks were written, checks were deposited back or written to pay for things. There's a very bright paper trail here the feds have connected, so this is a very serious indictment.”
Local law professor Dane Ciolino said the lengthy list of agencies involved in the investigation, and the running list of other charges the three defendants face is daunting.
“It really is a sledgehammer-type indictment against the individuals,” he said. “The money laundering and tax fraud allegations ratchet up the indictment.”
Betty Jefferson's attorney, Ike Spears, did not return a call for comment Wednesday. Eyewitness News also tried to contact the city to ask how, if at all, Jefferson's status as a tax assessor could be impacted by these indictments, but they also did returned calls for information.
