Arlen B. Cenac, Jr. Charged with Making False Statements to the Federal Elections Commission

Arlen B. Cenac, Jr., age 57, a resident of Houma, Louisiana, was charged with making false statements to the federal elections commission today in a one-count bill of information, announced U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente.

According to court documents, between February 16, 2008 and May 24, 2008, Cenac, who is the president and owner of Cenac Towing, submitted cashier’s checks that he purchased in the names of individuals other than himself to the campaigns of two United States Senate candidates. The money Cenac used to purchase these cashier’s checks came from personal and corporate accounts. In submitting these contributions to the campaigns, Cenac neither obtained nor sought the knowledge, permission, or authority of the individuals he listed as remitters on the cashier’s checks. Cenac’s provision of the cashier’s checks caused a knowing and willful “submission of a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and representation; that is, the submission by unwitting authorized campaign committees of candidates for the United States Senate to the federal election commission of a report that was materially false in reporting the source and amount of contributions to the campaigns.”

If convicted, Arlen B. Cenac, Jr. faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

U.S. Attorney Boente 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 Department of Justice-Public Integrity, and the United States Attorney’s Office.

The case is being prosecuted by Department of Justice Trial Attorney Tracee Plowell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Friel.