Linda Meffert, Loyola alumna and wife of former New Orleans Chief Technology Greg Meffert is charged with a 63-count indictment involving a kickback scheme with city vendor Mark St. Pierre.
The indictment includes conspiracy, wire fraud, bribery, money laundering, false statements and filing false tax returns.
In the course of May 2002 to May 2007, the Mefferts received a total of $860,000 worth of kickbacks from St. Pierre in the form of checks, deposits, an American Express credit card, a yacht, home renovations, and landscaping.
Greg Meffert changed IT service policy so that installing crime cameras in New Orleans would not need to be acquired through competitive bids between prime contractors. Meffert then only hired contractors who would agree to assign St. Pierre to install the crime cameras. St. Pierre profited $4 million from work for city.
Linda Meffert is accused of false statements to FBI agents when she claimed to receive $38,000 from NetMethods, a St. Pierre company, for providing accounting services from her company, The Bottom Line Company: Strategic Financial Consulting, LLC. She also claimed to have worked six hours a day, $90 an hour.
In actuality, she did not provide any work for St. Pierre. Linda Meffert had transferred $20,000 in a joint account with husband Greg Meffert.
Including NetMethods, St. Pierre disguised other payments under other various corporate names like Imagine Software, Method Investments, and Veracent.
Linda Meffert, along with her husband are charged with filing false tax returns. The Mefferts did not report approximately $50,000 worth of income in 2005.
The Mefferts and St. Pierre’s arraignment was scheduled on November 12th. However, only St. Pierre pled not guilty to the 63-count indictment. The Meffert’s arraignment was rescheduled on November 24th due to Linda Meffert’s decision to bring in another attorney.
Linda Meffert received her B.B.A. at Loyola University of New Orleans in 1988 and received her M.B.A in 1992.
All three have been released on a $200,000 bond.
Monica Vo can be reached at [email protected]
