Former US mayor indicted on federal corruption charges

A former New Orleans mayor has been indicted by a federal grand jury on 21 corruption charges, including bribery, fraud and filing false tax returns.

Federal prosecutors indicted Ray Nagin, on Friday, for allegedly defrauded the Louisiana city of New Orleans by receiving checks, cash, wire transfers, personal services and free travel from various businessmen seeking contracts and special treatment from the city.

“Today’s indictment of former Mayor Ray Nagin alleges serious violations of the public’s trust,” said Mitch Landrieu, who ran against Nagin in 2006 mayoral elections.

The indictment states that not only Nagin’s family benefited from the bribes with free vacations to Hawaii and Jamaica, private jet travel and cellular phone services but their granite-business Stone Age LLC, too.

Businessmen bribed the former mayor with cash sums of between USD 2,250 and 60,000 and in return, the city awarded contracts amounting to million dollars within consulting, different airport contracts, and sidewalk repairs, according to the indictment.

Nagin has also been charged with falsifying his tax returns for the years 2005 to 2008.

In 2002, Nagin took office as New Orleans’ mayor, vowing that he would crack down on corruption, calling citizens to report bribery crimes to authorities.

The hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, killing 1,833 people, in five states with damages that totaled USD 108 billion, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.