Former Orleans Parish Bail Bondswoman Sentenced for Conspiracy

Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TYNEKIA BUCKLEY, age 44, of New Orleans, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to a one-count Bill of Information charging her with conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud.

U.S. District Judge Marlin L.C. Feldman sentenced BUCKLEY to four years of probation, with the first six months to be served on home detention.

According to court documents, BUCKLEY worked as a licensed bail bondswoman in New Orleans from 2004 through 2012, at 538 S. Broad Street in New Orleans. In that capacity, BUCKLEY was employed by RUFUS JOHNSON, who operated as a bail bondsman without having the required license. As such, JOHSON could not legally run a bail bonds business. During the course of her employment, BUCKLEY gave cash and things of value to employees of the Clerk’s Office in exchange for employees permitting JOHNSON to use BUCKLEY’S name and bonding license and to sign BUCKLEY’S name on official court documents.

According to additional court documents, BUCKLEY also conspired with JOHNSON to give cash and things of value to a former assistant bond clerk and a former part-time employee of the Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff’s Office, in exchange for that person’s illegal and unauthorized release of criminal defendants from the Orleans Parish Prison.

JOHNSON pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, honest services mail fraud and honest services wire fraud; conspiracy to use interstate transportation in aid of a racketeering enterprise; conspiracy to commit unauthorized access to a protected computer; conspiracy to obstruct justice; and, making material false statements in a matter within the jurisdiction of a department or agency of the United States. U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle set JOHNSON’s sentencing on July 19, 2017.

Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, with the assistance of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg, Harry W. McSherry, and Brittany Reed were in charge of the prosecution.