New Orleans Police Officers Plead Guilty to Theft Conspiracy and Wire Fraud Conspiracy

Rafael Dobard, age 39, and Quiny Jones, age 33, both New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) narcotics detectives, pled guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to conspiracy to commit theft from programs receiving federal funds and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced U. S. Attorney Kenneth Allen Polite, Jr. Judge Brown set sentencing of both defendants on June 19, 2014, at 10:00 am.

According to court documents, Dobard and Jones both admitted that they conspired to enrich themselves and others by obtaining NOPD confidential informant funds by fraud and by corruptly making payments to other officers in their unit. They also admitted that they conspired to commit wire fraud by submitting NOPD timesheets that indicated they were working on duty for the NOPD when, in fact, they were working at non-NOPD detail jobs.

Dobard and Jones have served as NOPD officers for eight and 11 years, respectively. Both officers were most recently assigned as detectives to NOPD’s Fourth District Narcotics Unit and are currently suspended.

The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit theft from programs receiving federal funds is five years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit wire fraud is 20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Any term of imprisonment must be followed by a term of supervised release of up to three years.

The case was investigated jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the NOPD Public Integrity Bureau. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller and Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael B. Redmann, who is detailed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office from the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office.