WAFB Channel 9, Baton Rouge, LA |Marthaville man charged with selling horses illegally

Marthaville man charged with selling horses illegally

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - A Marthaville man faces charges in a scheme to sell Prison Enterprises horses illegally.

A federal grand jury has indicted James H. Leslie, 58, former Director of Louisiana Prison Enterprises, on three counts of mail fraud after they say he sold Prison Enterprises horses to a Colorado man, as well as himself without going to public auction or competitive bidding, a violation of both state law and Prison Enterprises policy.

Leslie pled guilty in 2006 to charges of witness tampering.  As part of the guilty plea, Leslie admitted that while his was Director of Prison Enterprises, he warned Dan Klein, the state contractor for the Angola Prison Rodeo, that the FBI had asked him to have a conversation with Klein while wearing a wire.

At the time, the FBI was investigating allegations of criminal activity in the operation of the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.  Leslie admitted in open court during the guilty plea that he told Klein to withold information from the FBI concerning Klein's receipt of free fertilizer and seed.  Leslie is scheduled to be sentenced for witness tampering on September 23.

The offenses Leslie was indicted on Thursday are alleged to have taken place in 2004 and 2005, prior to the witness tampering, and in July 2006, after the witness tampering.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Louisiana Inspector General's Office, and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture.

If convicted of the mail fraud charges, Leslie could receive a maximum of 60 years in prison, a $750,000 fine, or both.  The witness tampering charge carries a maximum of 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, or both.

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