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Former Police Chief and City Councilmember Indicted for Vote Buying Scheme
A former police chief and current city councilmember in Louisiana have been charged with being part of a vote buying scheme in a federal election.
Jerry Trabona, 73, of Amite City, and Kristian Hart, 49, of Amite City, are accused of conspiring to and did unlawfully pay voters to cast their ballots for certain candidates during the 2016 Open Primary Election and the 2016 Open General Election in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana.
According to the indictment, Trabona and Hart solicited and hired individuals to identify potential voters, transported those voters to the polls where they were provided with the names and candidate numbers of candidates, and paid the voters to cast their ballots for candidates.
The pair are each charged with conspiracy to buy votes and multiple counts of buying votes. They are scheduled for their initial court appearance on December 17 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Wells Roby of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
If convicted, Trabona and Hart face a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Rosaleen O’Gara and Michael N. Lang of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Irene M. González of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two additional individuals, Sidney Smith and Calvin Batiste, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to buy votes during the 2016 election. Smith pleaded guilty on November 29, and Batiste pleaded guilty on December 8.
Sidney Smith and Calvin Batiste each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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