Former New Orleans Councilman Oliver Thomas Reports To Prison Today

Former New Orleans City Council President Oliver Thomas reports to a federal prison, in Atlanta, at noon today.

According to the Times Picayune, Thomas has said the following:

I just want to pay my debt to society,"; "I'm not angry at anybody. I've asked God to forgive me and I'm working to forgive myself. I want to move on with my life."

What the former Councilman failed to realize is that his debt to society will never be paid since he failed to cooperate with the federal governments' probe into political corruption. Yes, God will forgive him but can he really move on if deception remains a large part of his life?

One has to wonder: Why did Stan "Pampy" Barre feel so comfortable with approaching him in the first place? It is obvious that Stan "Pampy" Barre, did not feel that he could approach Nagin with such an offer. Stan "Pampy" Barre may be an ignorant individual but what did he see in Oliver Thomas? Apparently he felt that bribing Oliver Thomas would not be reported to the feds.

Additionally, it was reported several times that Oliver Thomas' guilty plea was part of a plea agreement between him and the U.S. attorney's office. At no time did he say that there was no plea agreement. Why would he later tell the judge that he could not "make up stuff"?

This statement is also troubling: On Wednesday, Thomas declined to elaborate on the matter but indicated he was at peace with the decision to maintain his silence.

If Oliver Thomas had no other information to provide to the feds, then why would he feel the need to "be at peace with the decision to maintain his silence"?

Lastly, Oliver Thomas should be placed in the Guinness Book of World Records if he want the citizens of New Orleans to believe that he will be serving a 37 month prison sentence for committing one crime. A criminal getting caught after their first crime is something that children may read about in fairy tales but adults know that that sort of thing NEVER HAPPENS.