F FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                     CONTACT: KATHY ENGLISH   

FEBRUARY 14, 2008                            PHONE: (504) 680-3068          

WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/LAE                              

FAX: (504) 589-4978  

BRENT HONORE, age 50, a resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Martin L.C. Feldman to two (2) years probation and a $5,000 fine for misprision of a felony, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.

According to court documents unsealed today, on July 26, 2007, HONORE entered a guilty plea before Judge Feldman admitting his involvement in a public bribery scheme arising out of his company's, Harvey Honore Construction, contract with the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) to construct the Fischer Senior Housing Village in Algiers, Louisiana. During construction of the project, an architect recommended to HANO that HONORE's work not be approved and as a result, his invoices weren't paid. A dispute over the work ensued and HANO brought in a consultant to remedy the situation. Shortly thereafter, HONORE was approached by HANO consultant James Lozano of Columbia Highlands, who demanded kickbacks in return for HONORE's work being approved and his invoices paid. HONORE felt that if he did not cooperate, he would lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in a project in which he had already invested a considerable amount of money. HONORE admitted paying bribes to Lozano in return for Lozano getting HANO to approve the invoices.

This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General, New Orleans Police Department and the Metropolitan Crime Commission. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U. S. Attorney Jon Maestri.