Former Executive Director of NOAH Indicted
| U.S. Attorney’s Office June 06, 2013 |
Stacey Jackson, age 46, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged in a four-count indictment by a federal grand jury today with conspiracy, soliciting, and demanding payment in association with a program receiving federal funds, theft of federal funds, and obstruction of justice, announced U. S. Attorney Dana Boente.
According to court documents, Jackson, the executive director of New Orleans Affordable Homeownership (NOAH), a city agency and non-profit corporation, conspired with Earl Myers, Trellis Smith, and others to misuse and personally benefit from federal funds that NOAH had received, in violation of the law. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), both before and after Hurricane Katrina, had provided grant money to the city of New Orleans to address blight within the city and to remediate homes damaged by the storm.
Stacey Jackson, as the executive director of NOAH, was responsible for the day to day management of the agency and determined how much each sub-contractor would be paid. According to the indictment, Jackson arranged for excessive payments to subcontractors with the expectation that those subcontractors would kickback portions of the overpayments to Jackson’s benefit.
Additionally, Jackson is charged with obstructing justice by submitting false and forged invoices to a federal grand jury in response to grand jury subpoenas.
If convicted, Jackson faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, along with a fine of $250,000; three years of supervised release on the conspiracy count, and 10 years, a fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release for the additional counts.
U. S. Attorney Boente reiterated that the indictment 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 Internal Revenue Service, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Dan Friel and First Assistant United States Attorney Fred Harper.