West Virginia Man Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Theft in Connection with a Program Receiving Federal Funds
| U.S. Attorney’s Office March 08, 2012 |
NEW ORLEANS—TRELLIS SMITH, age 35, a resident of Reedsville, West Virginia, was charged in a one-count bill of information filed today for conspiracy to commit theft in connection with a program receiving federal funds, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten.
According to the Bill of Information, SMITH, d/b/a Parish-Dubuclet Services, Inc., a New Orleans Affordable Homeownership (NOAH) contractor, engaged in a conspiracy to steal funds provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the form of annual Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) exceeding $10,000 designed to support home remediation work to residences following Hurricane Katrina.
If convicted, SMITH faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a $250,0000 fine, three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment.
U.S. Attorney Letten reiterated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the New Orleans Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, U.S. Fred P. Harper, Jr.