PROJECT MANAGER IN CITY HALL CORRUPTION PROSECUTION SENTENCED

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA -TERRY SONGY, age 51, a resident of Albany, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance to six (6) months imprisonment after being convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and evasion of federal income taxes announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten. SONGY was ordered to self-surrender on September 30, 2008.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Vance ordered restitution in the amount of $56,000 to be paid to the City of New Orleans and $13,000 to the Internal Revenue Service, as well as two (2) years of supervised release following the term of imprisonment. During the term of supervised release, the defendant will be under federal supervision and risks an additional term of imprisonment should he violate any terms of his supervised release.

According to the court record, on January 25, 2006, TERRY SONGY entered a guilty plea before Judge Vance admitting his participation in a conspiracy to commit mail fraud and tax evasion and being involved in a scheme to defraud his former employer, Johnson Controls, Inc. of his honest and faithful services. SONGY has cooperated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the United States Attorney's Office since November, 2004. He has provided details of a conspiracy to commit mail fraud that had occurred arising out of the Johnson Controls contract with the City of New Orleans.

This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. The prosecution was handled by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jan Maselli Mann and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jon Maestri and Brian Klebba.