For Immediate Release February 5, 2003

New Orleans, LA (504) 816-3000

INDICTMENT RETURNED, CHARGING THREE INDIVIDUALS FOR CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT MAIL FRAUD AND MAIL FRAUD

Jim Letten, United States Attorney, Noel L. Hillman, Chief of the Department of Justice Public Integrity Section, and Kenneth Kaiser, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced today that a federal grand jury sitting in the Eastern District of Louisiana returned a six count indictment charging Ronald D. Bodenheimer of Metairie, age 51, Philip M. Demma of Metairie, age 38, and Bryan M. White of Metairie, age 42, with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and mail fraud. The indictment alleges that the purpose of the mail fraud scheme was for Bodenheimer, while siting as an elected judge for the 24th Judicial District Court in Jefferson Parish, with the assistance of Demma and White, to use his position as judge to enrich himself by making judicial rulings favorable to a litigant in a domestic proceeding in exchange for things of value; including assistance with quashing unfavorable publicity about Bodenheimer; assistance in obtaining a lucrative seafood contract and other things of value; and to hide and conceal the acts they took in furtherance of the scheme. The indictment also charges Bodenheimer, Demma, and White with conspiracy to violate the civil rights of a litigant in a domestic proceeding. The defendants face a maximum penalty on Counts 1 through 5 of five (5) years imprisonment and/or a fine of $250,000.00 per count. As to the civil rights conspiracy charged in Count 6, the defendants face a penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000.00 fine.

U. S. Attorney Letten stated, “My office, along with the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI, will continue to investigate and prosecute all forms of public and judicial corruption aggressively. The investigation which led to today’s indictment is just one part of a larger ongoing investigation being conducted in this district. It is important for the public to recognize that the investigation and prosecution of corruption at all levels of government remains a high priority of this office.”

This matter was investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This matter will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael W. Magner, William Gibbens and Nancy Newcomb, Senior Trial Attorney, Public Integrity Section for the Department of Justice.