New Orleans Council Member Pleads Guilty To Federal Bribery Charge

NEW ORLEANS (AP) _ The vice president of the City Council, once thought to be a likely candidate for mayor in 2010, pleaded guilty Monday to a federal bribery charge. <br/><br/>Oliver Thomas entered the

Monday, August 13th 2007, 2:30 pm

By: News On 6

NEW ORLEANS (AP) _ The vice president of the City Council, once thought to be a likely candidate for mayor in 2010, pleaded guilty Monday to a federal bribery charge.

Oliver Thomas entered the plea before U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance, and prosecutors were to discuss details of the case later Monday. Bond for Thomas was set at $25,000.

Thomas has been on the council for 13 years. He is one of two at-large members and is the council's vice president.

Thomas is accused of taking $15,000 in bribes from restaurateur Stan ``Pampy'' Barre over a city parking lot contract, U.S. Attorney Jim Letten said in a statement.

Barre, a member of former Mayor Marc Morial's inner circle, pleaded guilty in January to plotting to skim more than $1 million from a $64 million, 20-year contract for energy management services signed in the last days of Morial's administration in 2002.