Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin Convicted of Corruption Charges
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Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images(NEW ORLEANS) — After six hours of deliberations, a federal jury in New Orleans found former New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin guilty of accepting bribes, trips and other gifts from contractors seeking work with the city.
Nagin, 57, who now lives in Frisco, Texas, served two terms in office that included a turn in the national spotlight during Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. After his service as mayor ended he was indicted for his crimes, some of which occurred during the city’s recovery from Katrina.
“While most people were working to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina these individuals were conspiring to benefit themselves at the expense of the citizens that elected them,” Gabriel Grchan, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation, said of Nagin and his “co-conspirators.”
Prosecutors portrayed Nagin as an opportunist who used the mayor’s office to line his pockets, while the former mayor’s defense said he was the victim of shady contractors.
Nagin will found guilty on all but one of 21 charges. He now faces decades in prison for the corruption convictions.
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