Nathian D. Hossley, Wire Fraud and Money Laundering, Louisiana 2023

BATON ROUGE, LA – In a shocking turn of events, Nathian D. Hossley, 50, of Baton Rouge, has been convicted of wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a $1.2 million school construction contract, according to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office.

Hossley, owner and operator of First Millennium Construction, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to multiple counts of wire fraud and money laundering. The convictions arose from Hossley’s ownership and operation of First Millennium and his co-ownership of Spice Bistro, a local restaurant.

During the guilty plea hearing, Hossley admitted to a factual summary which detailed his crimes. According to the summary, Hossley submitted a bid to Bouma Construction for First Millennium to work as a subcontractor on the construction of the Impact Charter School in Baker, Louisiana, in 2014. Hossley misrepresented his criminal history and pending civil matters on the Qualification Statement submitted to Bouma.

Bouma ultimately hired First Millennium for the Impact Charter School project, and the companies entered into a contract for $1,221,163.00. Hossley submitted multiple payment applications to Bouma, which falsely understated or omitted money owed to certain sub-subcontractors or vendors. This allowed Hossley to conceal from Bouma that he was using money paid to him by Bouma for personal expenditures, including American Express card bills, cash withdrawals, and money transfers to Spice Bistro.

In October 2014, Hossley contacted an executive with Bouma and requested payment for four sub-subcontractors. Hossley and his employee forged the signatures on the lien waivers and joint check agreements, and caused the checks to be deposited into First Millennium’s bank account. Hossley then made a $29,474.34 payment on his American Express card from the First Millennium bank account and transferred $22,000 to the bank account of Spice Bistro.

The total of these two transactions exceeded the amount of money in the account previous to the deposit of the four joint checks by over $10,000. These transactions formed the basis of Hossley’s money laundering conviction.

The matter is being handled by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana. Hossley’s sentencing date has not yet been set.

Hossley’s conviction is a significant blow to the construction industry in Louisiana, highlighting the need for stricter oversight and accountability. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this story and provide updates as more information becomes available.

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