United States Attorney David R. Dugas announced today that ROBERT L. STEVENS, age 61, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was charged in a Bill of Information with conspiracy to use interstate facilities in aid of racketeering for allegedly accepting bribes from individuals with pending criminal charges in the Baton Rouge City Court, and then sharing the proceeds of the bribes with a prosecutor who would arrange for the matters to be dismissed or otherwise “fixed.” The initial appearance and arraignment on these charges have not yet been scheduled.

The charges against STEVENS resulted from “Operation Illegal Motion,” an ongoing investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney’s Office with the cooperation of the Louisiana Office of Inspector General; the Louisiana State Police; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigative Division; the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General; and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Criminal Investigations Division. The cases are being prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Corey R. Amundson and Assistant United States Attorney M. Patricia Jones.

STEVENS is the 10th individual charged as a result of Operation Illegal Motion. Nine individuals have previously pleaded guilty to charges arising out of the investigation. STEVENS faces a maximum sentence of five (5) years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

For further information, contact David R. Dugas, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana, or Lyman Thornton, First Assistant U.S. Attorney, at (225) 389-0443.

The area around the intersection of 3^rd Street and Convention Street downtown will be closed to traffic for 12 hours on Wednesday, March 17, for the filming of the movie, “The Ledge.”

From 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Wednesday, police plan to close the section of 3^rd Street between North Boulevard and Florida Boulevard, and the portion of Convention Street between 4^th Street and Lafayette Street.

During those hours Wednesday, general pedestrian traffic will be prohibited between Lucy’s Retired Surfer Bar & Restaurant at 151 3^rd Street and Boudreaux & Thibodaux’s at 214 3^rd Street. However, production assistants will be on hand to help customers get in and out of the businesses in the filming area.

During the filming, traffic approaching the intersection of Convention and 4^th streets will re-routed toward North Boulevard or Florida Boulevard. Traffic approaching the film site on 3^rd Street from St. Louis Street will be re-routed toward River Road.

Film producers said that one of the scenes to be filmed Wednesday will involve actors on a downtown rooftop and building ledge. In addition, some actors will be wearing Baton Rouge Police and Fire uniforms, and Baton Rouge police cars, fire trucks and EMS ambulances will be used in part of the filming.

During the street closures Wednesday, vehicles will be allowed to access State National Parking on 3^rd Street from Florida Boulevard, and will be able to enter the Parking Garage on 3^rd Street from River Road by traveling east on Convention Street.

Producers of the movie have hand-delivered letters to businesses and residences in the area informing them of the closure, and are working to minimize the impact of the closure.

“The Ledge” is an independent feature film drama starring Terrence Howard, Liv Tyler, Patrick Wilson and Charlie Hunnam. The motion picture will be filming at various locations around Baton Rouge through mid-April.

Is your mouth ready for a makeover? If you answered YES, you could be
one of the first to take the Better Check Ups Challenge.

Crest and Oral-B are looking for Baton Rouge residents to take the
Better Check-Ups Challenge to help improve their oral health and
encourage others to do the same! We’ll select six challengers to
use the full-line of Crest-Pro Health products for six months,
confident that they will show better results at their dental
check-ups. All Crest-Pro Health products will be provided– free of
charge.

If you would like to take the challenge and become a Better Check-Ups
ambassador for Baton Rouge, visit the Borders Book store located at
the Mall of Louisiana on Tuesday, March 16 from 11:30-1:30 pm and 4-6
pm to complete an application form and tell us why YOU are up for the
challenge!

Date:           Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Time:           11:30-1:30 p.m. and 4-6 p.m.
Location:       Mall of Louisiana
6401 Bluebonnet Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70836
(225) 769-2112

United States Attorney David R. Dugas announced that TIMOTHY M. STRAIN, age  47, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was arrested today pursuant to a criminal complaint signed by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Christine M. Noland charging STRAIN with mail fraud and bank fraud. The affidavit filed in support of the complaint alleges that STRAIN used fraudulent money orders to pay the balance due on two vehicle loans.

The mail fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The bank fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

The charges in the complaint are the result of an ongoing investigation by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana.

NOTE: A complaint is an accusation by a law enforcement agent that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by the defendant. The defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until and unless he is proven guilty at trial.

Troopers arrested two individuals Sunday morning, March 7, on two separate traffic stops for Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana. The first traffic stop, shortly before 7:30 a.m. on Interstate 12 eastbound at LA 441, produced nearly 200 pounds of marijuana. Troopers stopped Aaron G. Major (W/M, age 38) of Concrete, WA driving a 2010 Cadillac DTS for a traffic violation. During the traffic stop, three large duffle bags were found in the trunk containing nearly 200 pounds of packaged marijuana. Troopers arrested Major and seized his vehicle.

Later in the morning, shortly after 10:30 am, Troopers arrested Stacey Hopper (W/M, age 22) of Grover, NC after stopping him for a traffic violation. Hopper was driving a U-Haul truck east on Interstate 12 near LA 441 when he was stopped by Troopers for a traffic violation. During the traffic stop, Troopers became suspicious and subsequently recovered 583 pounds of marijuana in 20 large bundles hidden in various pieces of furniture in the truck.

Troopers booked both men on charges of Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana and related traffic charges into the Livingston Parish Jail. According to Louisiana State Law, persons accused of Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute, upon conviction, shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment at hard labor for not less than five nor more than thirty years, and pay a fine of not more than fifty thousand dollars.

The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) announced today the results of the regional innovation strategy it developed in order to create a culture that deeply fosters and supports entrepreneurship throughout the Capital Region. The strategy, which was created in collaboration with Louisiana Economic Development (LED), Louisiana State University (LSU), the Louisiana State University System Research and Technology Foundation (LSU RTF), the Research Park Corporation (RPC), and Southern University, recommends the formation of a new regional innovation organization and an agreed-upon plan to create a true university research park.

“These two developments, the new innovation organization and the university research park plan, are the two most critical components of the regional innovation strategy work. Both will have a tremendous, long-term impact on the Baton Rouge area, and our ability to create jobs and increase wealth,” said Adam Knapp, BRAC’s President and CEO. “We would like to thank all of those who gave so graciously of their time to bring this strategy to fruition. Their efforts will lead directly to future entrepreneurs having their ideas embraced and cultivated, thereby ensuring the region’s competitiveness on a national and international stage.”

The strategy results recommend that the regional innovation organization would be the entity responsible for all entrepreneurship and business acceleration services in the Baton Rouge area. It would be the central point of access for entrepreneurs, creating layers of service, while coordinating the region’s assets including business support services and incubators such as the Louisiana Business and Technology Center, the Louisiana Emerging Technology Center, the Louisiana Technology Park, and others. It would be modeled after highly-successful, entrepreneurial-centric organizations like Innovation Works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the Council for Entrepreneurial Development in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

It is also recommended that the regional innovation organization be led by an executive director, who will be responsible for ensuring all aspects of the organization are focused on providing high-growth entrepreneurial firms the information and access they need to be successful. This would include serving as an advisor to existing incubator partners who serve the regional entrepreneurial network; developing a strategy to better align existing business development services and a plan to fill existing service gaps; assisting LSU in the development of the university research park; developing formal mentoring programs to advise early-stage, high-potential firms; creating a solid network of angel, seed, and early-stage capital providers; building a funding strategy for securing dollars to enhance programmatic offerings; leveraging the region’s universities and colleges to support entrepreneurial development; and coordinating the reliable tracking and recording of metrics on entrepreneurial service offerings from partner incubators and their impact on the regional economy. The executive director would be identified through a national search.

Due to the composition of its board and statutorily-created mission, it was recommended that the RPC would be the most appropriate entity to oversee the operations of the regional innovation organization. The RPC will officially receive the plan at its next board meeting on March 23, 2010.”

In announcing the plan for the university research park, BRAC cited its potential as a real catalyst for job growth. Current plans call for the park to be approximately 187 acres and would consist of land from Nicholson Drive to GSRI Road. Of the total acreage, approximately ninety-four acres would need to be purchased for $10 million in order to complete the park’s designed footprint. To obtain the necessary funds, BRAC and its partners will advocate for the dollars to be included in the state’s capital outlay budget to be dispersed over a four-year period. Five million dollars will also be requested over that time period for needed infrastructure improvements.

Under the current agreement, the park’s development, which would occur at what is now known as the LSU South Campus, would begin with the creation of an LSU-affiliated foundation to oversee the park’s development. The entity would be responsible for the land acquisition, infrastructure development, architectural administration, and tenant selection, under guidelines approved by the LSU Board of Supervisors. To date, the research park’s master plan has been approved by the board of supervisors, but approval of management agreements and tenant selection policies must be attained prior to implementation.

“At LSU we are committed to being a proactive partner in bringing new businesses and expanding existing businesses in East Baton Rouge Parish. Our South Campus, under the leadership of Charlie D’Agostino, offers opportunities for start ups and others to forge dynamic partnerships with LSU, its faculty, and students,” LSU Chancellor Michael Martin said.

“LSU System institutions support the academic entrepreneurialism that creates marketable innovations. These initiatives act as an economic catalyst, and at a time of decreasing state budgets, the opportunity to capitalize on the translation of knowledge through commercial breakthroughs using regional research collaborations means new jobs and increased prosperity for Louisiana and the nation,” said Dr. John Lombardi, LSU System President.

“The Ourso College of Business is proud to be a partner in this collaboration,” said Eli Jones, Dean of the E. J. Ourso College of Business. “The College has been and will continue to be a partner to business in all parts of the state, and we will be a leader in bringing innovation to Louisiana.”

An issue brief summarizing the regional innovation strategy can be found at www.brac.org/research.

The outside lane of U.S. 190 Eastbound at the Amite River Bridge will be closed on Thursday, March 11 and Friday, March 12 from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. each day to allow crews to make repairs to the temporary travel lane.

This closure will allow vehicles up to 11 feet wide to pass through the construction zone.  The road is open for regular traffic but oversize vehicles and loads are still under permit restrictions.  Motorists may use I-12 as an alternate route.

DOTD appreciates your patience and reminds you to please drive with caution through the construction site and be on the lookout for work crews and their equipment.

East Baton Rouge Parish residents can drop off household hazardous materials for safe disposal at the upcoming Household Hazardous Materials Collection Day on Saturday, March 13 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.

City-Parish Recycling Director Susan Hamilton emphasized that this event is only for the collection of residential hazardous materials, and will not accept materials generated by businesses and other commercial sources. Participants entering the drop-off site will be checked to make sure they are East Baton Rouge residents.

The following household hazardous materials will be accepted: fertilizers, pool chemicals, insecticides, pesticides, gasoline, cleaning products, latex and oil paint and paint products, automobile tires, auto products including used oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, diesel, oil and fuel filters; cooking oil; fluorescent tubes, ballasts and compact fluorescent bulbs; lead acid, nickel-cadmium and alkaline batteries; stereos and televisions.   To be accepted, liquids must be in labeled, closed containers that hold five gallons or less.

Items that will not be accepted include: ammunition, explosives, fireworks, non-residential waste, radioactive devices (smoke/fire/detectors), large gas cylinders such as helium, acetylene or Freon, Styrofoam peanuts, school lab waste, fire extinguishers, appliances (white goods) or furniture, copiers, construction and demolition debris, asbestos-containing building materials, biomedical hazardous material, computers, computer monitors, fax machines and computer components.

For a complete list of acceptable and unacceptable household hazardous materials, go to www.brgov.com/recycle.

Hamilton said that although household hazardous materials comprise only 1 percent of the waste stream, they can negatively impact almost every aspect of the environment, polluting the air, water and soil.

Over the past 23 years, East Baton Rouge residents have safely disposed of more than 2 million pounds of household hazardous materials through local collections like the one that will be held March 13, she said.

Residents should enter the drive-through drop-off site from Scenic Highway at Foss Street.   Directional signs will be posted and police officers will be on hand to keep traffic moving steadily.

Sponsors and Partners: City-Parish Public Works Recycling  and Environmental divisions, Baton Rouge Fire Department Hazardous Materials Division, City Police, City Constable’s Office, Emergency Medical Services, PSC Environmental Services, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Dow Chemical Company, Habitat for Humanity, Southern Recycling, Siemens Corporation, The Recycling Foundation, Interstate Batteries of Greater Baton Rouge, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, East Baton Rouge Parish Recreation and Parks Commission, Baton Rouge Coca-Cola Bottling Company, and WRKF-FM.

For more information contact the EBRP Recycling Office at (225) 389-5194.

United States Attorney David R. Dugas announced today that MICHAEL LEE, age 46, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, appeared before U.S. District Court Judge James Brady and pleaded guilty to charges contained in a corruption-related indictment (“corruption indictment”) and a firearm-related indictment (“firearm indictment”).

With regard to the corruption indictment, LEE pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), violating the RICO Act, using an interstate facility in aid of racketeering, and making false statements to the FBI. With regard to the firearm indictment, LEE pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in violation of a protective order. LEE faces up to 60 years in prison and a $1,250,000 fine.

During today’s hearing, LEE admitted to, among other things, facilitating cash payments to Edward James in exchange for James causing the corrupt dismissal, reduction, or otherwise “fixing” of numerous charges against LEE and others, including battery, domestic violence, and drug charges. LEE also admitted that he lied to FBI agents and that he advised “John Doe” to bribe the victim in a battery case so that the victim would not complain about the battery case being corruptly dismissed.

LEE is the ninth individual convicted as a result of Operation “Illegal Motion.”

The charges against LEE result from Operation “Illegal Motion,” an ongoing investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney’s Office with the cooperation of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Louisiana Office of Inspector General; the Louisiana State Police; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigative Division; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General; and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Criminal Investigations Division. The cases are being prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Corey R. Amundson and Assistant United States Attorney M. Patricia Jones.

The number of major crimes reported by the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office for 2009 increased by 188 incidents (2.12 %) when compared to 2008, according to the crime figures submitted to the FBI Uniform Reporting (UCR) program. (Major Crimes reported to UCR in 2008 were a 10.46% decrease when compared to 2007). Violent Crimes Against Persons (murder, rape, robbery, and assault) decreased -10.97%, while Crimes Against Property (burglary, larceny, arson and motor vehicle theft) increased by 3.36%.

UCR Year to Date

Today the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) released the names of 18 students selected as regional finalists in the state’s annual Student of the Year competition.  The 18 students selected include one 5th, 8th and 12th grader from each of the state’s six regions – and represent public and non-public elementary, middle and high schools across Louisiana. The finalists will convene at the Louisiana State Museum in Baton Rouge on March 17 for an awards ceremony and the announcement of the three state Student of the Year winners.

“We are pleased to recognize these students as some of the best and brightest of our state and to honor them as 2010 Student of the Year regional finalists,” State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek said. “Their personal commitment to academic excellence, community service and other interests are worthy of praise. On behalf of the Department, I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations to each of the 18 finalists.”

All public schools, including charter schools, as well as approved non-public schools, were asked to submit one candidate from their student body.

Students compete with their peers at the district level, and may advance to the regional competitions. Students are selected based on criteria that measure academic achievement, leadership skills, character, and service to their schools and communities. Regional selection committees also use student-made portfolios of accomplishments, along with student writing samples and interviews to assess the communications and critical thinking skills of each candidate.

Prior to selecting the three state winners, the state selection committee will conduct interviews, as well as review a writing sample from each of the finalists.

“Being a finalist for the Louisiana 2010 Student of the Year competition is an outstanding honor and a true testament to each of these students’ extraordinary efforts in the classroom and beyond,” said Keith Guice, president of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. “We all are very proud of these students, who attend public and private schools statewide, and we wish them well in their future pursuits.”

The finalists are as follows:

Grade 4

• Leah Huber, Stockwell Place Elementary, Bossier Parish
• Ashlen Grace Cady, Kiroli Elementary School, Ouachita Parish
• Brittany Rose Collins, J.I Barron Elementary, Rapides Parish
• Kyle Andrew Sellers, Bains Elementary School, West Feliciana Parish
• Injee Hong, Metairie Academy for Advanced Studies, Jefferson Parish
• Nicholas Cassidy, Our Lady Immaculate School, Diocese of Lake Charles

Grade 8

• Elles Rock, Cope Middle School, Bossier Parish
• Mary Kate McEacharn, Delhi Charter, Richland Parish
• Benjamin Christopher Shallow, Elton High School, Jefferson Davis Parish
• Aaron Zachary Reed, Mandeville Junior High, St. Tammany Parish
• Eris Monique Stove, East Thibodaux Middle School, Lafourche Parish
• Gabrielle Marie Lessen, Holy Savior Menard Central High School, Diocese of Alexandria

Grade 12

• Andrew Murphy, Captain Shreve High School, Caddo Parish
• Jamie Lynn Robinson, Oak Grove High School, West Carroll Parish
• Daniel Lee Comeaux, Lafayette High School, Lafayette Parish
• Justin Bryant Schopp, Central High School, Central Community Schools
• Megan Ashley Alfonso, Chalmette High School, St. Bernard Parish
• Bonnie Joyce McLindon, St. Joseph’s Academy, Diocese of Baton Rouge

Northbound and southbound LA 3245 in Baton Rouge from I-12 to US 190 will be closed intermittently in both directions from Wednesday, March 3 to Friday, March 5. Lane closures will be allowed from 8:00pm to 5:00am the following day while crews install subsurface drainage under the existing roadway.

This closure will allow vehicles 12-feet wide or smaller to pass through the construction zone. Road is open for regular traffic but oversize vehicles are not permitted.

This lane closure is subject to change depending on adverse weather conditions.