Convicted Felon, Stan "Pampy" Barre Accused of telling lies to lessen his prison sentence

Federal investigators are probing an allegation that Orleans Parish School Board member and state House candidate Una Anderson accepted a cash bribe, delivered to her husband six years ago in exchange for her help steering a School Board trash-collection contract to two local garbage haulers, sources close to the investigation said.

Anderson said she does not believe she is the target of any federal inquiry. If she is, she said, that's because restaurateur and convicted felon Stan "Pampy" Barre is telling investigators anything he can in hopes of reducing his prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges related to a crooked City Hall energy deal. Barre faces sentencing in January.

"If Stan Barre is saying that I took a bribe, he is telling a lie," Anderson said. "I've done nothing unethical or illegal."

Jimmie Woods and Alvin Richard, the respective owners of Metro Disposal Inc. and Richard's Disposal Inc., the two trash-hauling companies that got the work, said through their attorneys that no bribes were paid to anyone.

"I'm aware that allegations may have been made," said Richard's attorney, Robert Glass. He added that Richard is "not a suspect" but that he is "answering questions from the authorities."

"All I can say is my client absolutely denies" paying a bribe, said Herbert Larson, Woods' attorney.

Larson also said: "If you want the real explanation, it is that Stan Barre will do anything, including roll over on Mother Teresa, to get out of 9 1/2 years in jail. He will say anything and do anything."

Larson's comment refers to the prison term Barre potentially faces. In June, one of Barre's co-conspirators, former city property management director Kerry DeCay, was sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to the same charges as Barre.

The harsh sentence might have served as a wake-up call to Barre, a gregarious restaurateur, political operative and close ally of former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial. Barre, absent a kind word from the feds, seemed destined for a similar stretch in the penitentiary. |Read more|