Ex-New Orleans Tech Chief, Wife, Vendor Indicted

BECKY BOHRER

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal grand jury on Friday indicted former New Orleans technology chief Greg Meffert, his wife and a one-time city vendor in an alleged kickback scheme involving contracts for the city's crime surveillance program.

The indictments against Meffert, 44; his wife, Linda Meffert, 42; and businessman Mark St. Pierre, 46 include charges of bribery, money laundering conspiracy, wire fraud and conspiracy. The Mefferts also are charged with filing false tax returns and making a false statement to investigators.

The 63-count indictment came four days after a civil jury found Greg Meffert and companies owned by St. Pierre conspired with Dell Inc. to unfairly compete in the video surveillance business with two companies that once worked on the crime camera program. The jury also found Meffert and Imagine Software, a St. Pierre company that helped run the technology office and manage the camera program, interfered with the city contract the companies worked under.

Eddie Castaing, a lawyer for St. Pierre, said his client will plead not guilty and "exercise his constitutional right to have his day in court."

"This is his first chance to present his defense and to tell his story about what really happened," Castaing said. "When the jury sees that, I believe he will be exonerated."