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Local Judge Embroiled in Tax Scandal
A federal grand jury in New Orleans returned an indictment charging Ernestine Anderson-Trahan, a city court judge, with filing false tax returns.
According to the indictment, from 2013 to 2016, Trahan allegedly officiated hundreds of marriage ceremonies each year but did not report on her federal tax returns the entire income earned from presiding over those ceremonies.
Trahan allegedly earned between $80 and $100, paid to her in cash, for each marriage she officiated at the courthouse. She allegedly charged higher officiant fees for marriages conducted outside normal business hours, outside the courthouse, or on Valentine’s Day.
The indictment alleges that Trahan did not report all of these officiant fees on her 2013 through 2016 federal tax returns. On her 2013 and 2014 tax returns, Trahan also allegedly did not report the income she received in those tax years for providing outside legal work before becoming a judge.
Trahan is scheduled to make her initial court appearance on Jan. 24 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Janis van Meerveld of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each of the four counts of filing a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Trahan’s indictment raises questions about the integrity of the local justice system and the need for greater transparency and accountability. The investigation is ongoing, and Trahan’s fate will be determined in the coming months.
Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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