U. S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/LAE |
CONTACT: KATHY ENGLISH
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FORMER
HEAD OF FILM COMMISSION CHARGED WITH BRIBERY NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA -MARK S. SMITH, age 46, a resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was charged in a two-count Bill of Information with Conspiracy and Bribery in Connection with a Program Receiving Federal Funds announced United States Attorney Jim Letten, with James Bernazzani, Special Agent in Charge for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Orleans Division and Rodney Clarke, Special Agent in Charge for the Internal Revenue Service. The case was allotted to United States District Court Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt. According to the
Bill of Information filed today, between 2003 and 2005, while serving
as Director of the Louisiana Film Commission, SMITH approved fraudulently
inflated movie budgets submitted by a film production company in order
for the film company to receive state tax credits. In return, SMITH accepted
cash bribes totaling over $65,000.00. The Bill of Information further
alleges that a businessman wrote corporate checks to a third party who
cashed If convicted, SMITH faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years on the bribery charge and five (5) years on the conspiracy charge, a fine of $250,000.00 and up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. peaking to today's federal charges, United States Attorney Jim Letten stated: "Today's charges are the product of an exemplary cooperative effort between my office and special agents of the FBI and IRS, assisted by the Louisiana State Attorney General's Office. Stated simply, we in federal enforcement, along with our partners, will continue to stand guard over, and fiercely defend the integrity of, our institutions and the free market economy which depend upon honest and fair services, opportunities, and competition, free from undue influences. We will continue to aggressively seek out, investigate, punish, and deter corruption in government and industry wherever we find it, in order to ensure the development of a strong and vibrant economy." The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, as well as the Louisiana State Attorney General's office. U. S. Attorney Letten 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorneys Carter K. D. Guice, Jr., G. Dall Kammer and Peter M. Thomson. * * * |
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