New Orleans - When Eddie Price resigned his post as Mandeville mayor last week, he was flanked by family. Friday, when he entered his guilty plea, he came alone.
Price pleaded guilty to honest services of mail fraud and tax evasion. Between 2003 and 2007, Price accepted expensive gifts, trips and other benefits from two city contractors who did hundreds of thousands of dollars of business with the city.
"Now he stands convicted of serious federal felonies arising out of his breach of the public trust," said U.S. Attorney Jim Letten in a news conference after the plea.
"The acceptance of these gifts while he actually has political subdivisions, in relationships from which these companies derived business, is really critical and under pins the entire thing."
The value of the trips is approximately $49,000, according to court documents. Prosecutors say Price accepted free trips on an airplane owned by the developer, as well.
Price also admitted to using money from his campaign fund for personal expenses, lying to the state about it and tax evasion for not filing a return in 2007.
"You don't get around evasion by not filing and think 'well only thing they can do to me is complain that I didn't file," said Asst. U.S. Attorney Fred Harper.
Prosecutors won't identify the two contractors involved but previous reports named Meyer's engineering and McMath Construction. Letten will not say whether they're under investigation, but did confirm the investigation isn't over.
Price could face as much as 25 years behind bars, but could face much less time because of his cooperation with prosecutors.
“Some of the same names that we're seeing in Mandeville are also present in St. John Parish, Jefferson Parish and around the region,” explained Rafael Goyeneche.
Goyeneche is head of the Metropolitan Crime Commission. A tip to the government watchdog group first brought Price's crimes to light. And Goyeneche says the calls about corruption all over the metro area haven't slowed down since.
Price still faces state perjury charges stemming from the trial of a North Shore businessman. Investigators said he tried to use his influence to help Gary Copp, who was arrested, and later convicted, for beating a woman at a Covington bar.
