Opinion ID: 2976408
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: New Orleans, Louisiana

Text: Gray and Jackson were both convicted on Count 41, which alleges that Gray, Jackson, Jividen, and others, including New Orleans official Vincent Sylvain and Gray’s clients, conspired to obstruct commerce by extortion by providing to Sylvain cash payments and things of value, in return for official acts involving the governance of New Orleans. In early 2002, Honeywell sought a $2.5 million contract to provide energy services to the Housing Authority of New Orleans (“HANO”). Gray informed Jackson of Honeywell’s interest in the contract, and Jackson indicated that he could “get the initial meeting [but] from that point on they gotta talk retainer.” Jackson told Gray that “this is money to you and I,” to which Gray responded that “we can keep it real clean, real quiet and . . . make some real money.” On February 5, 2002, Gray and Jackson conducted a conference call with Honeywell representatives. Jackson stated that he could arrange a meeting with New Orleans housing officials, including HANO director Benjamin Bell and Sylvain, the mayor’s executive director of housing. In a private conversation shortly after the conference call ended, Gray told Jackson that he was going to send Jackson $2,500 to “get this thing going a little bit.” Jackson informed Gray that “Vince” in the mayor’s office was “the one pushing this for me,” and stated, “I’m gonna flip it to him.” A $2,500 check was drawn on Gray’s ETNA account to Jackson later that day. Jackson called Gray the next day to report that he had a “great meeting” with Bell, who had agreed to meet with Honeywell’s representatives to discuss the contract. Jackson informed Gray that “Vince” had called and that Vince “wants to be . . . part of [a] long term thing.” Gray, in turn, assured Jackson that “if it didn’t go out yesterday then it went out today for sure.” A meeting occurred between Jackson and housing officials, including Vincent Sylvain, but the energy services contract was ultimately not awarded because HANO went bankrupt. The government concedes, and we agree, that although defendants’ intention was to obtain the contract for Honeywell, it has not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Honeywell actually funded the $2,500 payment, as opposed to Gray making the payment in order to develop a potential business opportunity. Because the proofs do not adequately show that Gray conspired with Sylvain to extort “property from another,” i.e, an unrelated entity outside of the conspiracy, the reversal of Gray’s conviction is required. For these same reasons, Jackson’s conviction on Count 41 is likewise rendered infirm. In light of the deficiencies in the proofs regarding the source of the $2,500 payment, the evidence is insufficient to show that Jackson conspired with Gray, Sylvain, and others to obtain payment “from another” under color of official right and that Jackson served as a conduit for this illegal payment. Consequently, the Brock error is not harmless and compels reversal of Jackson’s conviction on Count 41.