New Orleans, La. -
An embattled NOPD commander has been reprimanded for violating the state's homestead exemption law.
FOX 8 News first reported in April of 2011 that, between 2001 and 2007, former 8th District commander Edwin Hosli benefited from homestead exemptions on his Kenner home where he lived with his wife, and also on another house on Spain Street in New Orleans.
He told Assessor Errol Williams it was an honest mistake, because he and his wife had been legally separated.
Williams told FOX 8 at the time, "The way the law reads is that a... husband and wife are only entitled to one community. Even if he owns one house and she owns the other? It doesn't matter, it's part of the community and they're only entitled to one homestead exemption."
As a result of our investigation, Williams revoked the Spain St. homestead exemption for seven years.
Hosli apologized and, within days, paid back taxes totaling $4655.
On July 18 of last year, the Public Integrity Bureau recommended the charges be sustained, writing that even though the investigation didn't prove that Hosli had intent to knowingly claim a homestead exemption he was not entitled to, he still violated the NOPD's policy regarding adherence to law.
But according to this inter-office correspondence obtained by FOX 8, Deputy Chief Kirk Bouyelas disagreed with PIB, saying that, since they couldn't prove intent, it was a civil matter and therefore the charge against Hosli should not be sustained.
He did recommend a professional conduct violation since Hosli's actions, which were highlighted in a news story, may have brought discredit to the NOPD.
Now, eight months after that recommendation and 15 months after our initial report, NOPD Superintendent Ronal Serpas has issued a seven-page letter of reprimand, disagreeing with his deputy chief and agreeing with PIB that Hosli did indeed break the NOPD's adherence to law rule.
The letter is a slap on the wrist as Hosli awaits the outcome of another, much larger investigation involving the lucrative red light camera ticket detail.
Hosli is under scrutiny for forming a corporation and, just a month later, getting the contract to review red light violations for the city.
His company, Anytime Solutions, hired more than a dozen officers to work the detail, including Serpas' son-in-law and bodyguard.
Inspector General Ed Quatrevaux says that investigation is ongoing and he wouldn't speculate about when it might wrap up.
Hosli has been on administrative re-assignment for almost a year. He has 30 days to appeal the letter of reprimand through Civil Service. But -- even though the letter is dated Monday, July 16 -- as of today, Civil Service had not received it.
Former NOPD 8th District commander Edwin Hosli
