Minister Indicted on 186 Counts

[Louisiana1976]

A Plaquemines Parish minister was indicted Wednesday on charges of theft and unauthorized use of a movable, and authorities allege that he stole more than $300,000 from parish residents seeking to get FEMA trailers for their property.

The Rev. Martin A. Denesse of Homeplace was indicted by a grand jury on one count of theft over $500 and 185 counts of unauthorized use of a movable, said Plaquemines Parish District Attorney Charles Ballay. Denesse, who pastored Grace Harbor Christian Ministries, is accused of stealing about $346,000 from the church's "trailer fund." Denesse will be arraigned on Sept. 23.

The pastor was already in custody on narcotics charges after he and his adult daughter were arrested with marijuana, crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia in January.

Denesse is accused of stealing the money parish residents paid him for the necessary hook-ups and insurance for FEMA trailers to be placed on their property

The minister was designated the parish's FEMA liaison in 2007 by the Plaquemines Parish Council. When appointed, Denesse said the program would provide an alternative to the crowded trailer parks, and residents were supposed to receive full-sized trailers instead of cramped travel trailers. At one time, the church's trailer fund contained as much as $1.3 million, Ballay said. Denesse charged residents $2,200 to hook up the trailers and at one time he said he had more than 1,800 people on his waiting list.

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more...http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2009/09/plaquemines_minister_indicted.html

[SpiralHawk]

1. Republicon Family Values going global strike again

Ptoooey

[derby378]

2. Unauthorized use of a "moveable?"

That's a phrase I've never heard before...

[Dogtown]

3. K&R n/t

[DisgustipatedinCA]

4. how much marijuana & cocaine are we talking about?

First, bye bye scumbag, enjoy prison.

But I was actually more interested in the fact that this guy and his daughter have been in jail for 8 months for possession of cocaine and marijuana. That seems pretty hard core--maybe there were extenuating circumstances.

[Lance_Boyle]

5. > 7 pounds of weed plus scales

not sure about the cocaine amounts.