Former Flood Authority President, Tim Doody, Gives Sweetheart Deal to fellow St. Bernardian & Sheriffs Department Employee

Summary:

As President of the SLFPAE, Tim Doody orchestrated the sale of a borrow pit to a fellow St. Bernardian and member of the St. Bernard Sheriff's Office. The U.S Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) purchased a borrow pit on Chef Menteur Highway in the name of the Orleans Levee District for $724,740 in 2008. Four years later, Doody misled his board about what property was being sold leading them to believe that a borrow pit at the corner of Michoud and Lake Forrest Boulevards was being sold. At the Boards Operations Committee Meeting on September 8, 2011, Doody made a motion to recommend the sale of a borrow pit and the Operations Committee voted unanimously to put this on the full Boards agenda at the September 15, 2011 meeting.

At the full Board meeting on September 15, 2011, Doody had John Barry make a motion to sell a borrow pit on Michoud and Lake Forrest Boulevards. The Board agreed; however the property that Doody ultimately sold was the borrow pit on Chef Menteur. There was never a board resolution passed authorizing the sale of the Chef Menteur borrow pit. Also, records indicate that Doody provided false information to the to the Orleans Parish Sheriff in order to facilitate the sale of a property that did not have levee board approval to sell.

Through an LLC a St. Bernard Sherriff's Deputy, bought the property on either side of the Chef Menteur borrow pit in June 2012. Though it was purchased under a trust, and not the LLC, Doody made sure the same St. Bernard Deputy got the Chef Menteur borrow pit 4 months later for $40,000 (after levee authorities had paid $724,740 for it less than four years earlier).

The borrow pit at Michoud and Lake Forrest Boulevards, which the Board did authorize to be sold, has never been sold and is still owned by the OLD.

The Parties:

B&P Investments of LA, LLC - a company comprised of one member, B&PP Trust. Exhibit "1."

B&PP Trust - This Trust was created by Richard Prince and Melissa Tufaro Prince. Peter Tufaro, Melissa' father, is the Trustee. Exhibit "2."

Pete Tufaro a Major with the St. Bernard Parish Sheriffs Department.

Tim Doody A SLFPAE Board member from 2007-2014. He served as President from 2007-2014.

The Land Transaction:

11/20/08 The Corps purchased 570061 Chef Menteur Highway from United Southern Securities for $724,740 (1,489,316 sq. feet) and titled it in the name of the OLD to be used as a borrow pit for construction of levees. The legal description of this property is Tract 0100, New Orleans East Industrial Park, located in Section 37, Township 12 south, Range 13 East, Southern Land District, East of Mississippi River, New Orleans, LA. Exhibit 3.

09/08/11 At the SLFPAE Operations Committee Meeting, Tim Doody made a motion to recommend that the Board approve the sale of a borrow pit. The Operations Committee agreed and put it on the agenda for the full board meeting the following week. Exhibit 4, pg. 3 minutes from the Operations Committee meeting.

09/15/11 The SLFPAE Board voted to sell borrow pits located on Michoud Boulevard and Lake Forest Boulevard. Those borrow pits have addresses of 6 Michoud and 582303 Michoud and have a legal description of Section 1, Township 11 South, Range 13 East, Orleans Parish, LA. Exhibit 5 Resolution and Meeting Minutes & Exhibit 6 location of property and Bill of Sale for the OLDs original purchase.

11/22/11 Gerry Gillen, as Executive Director of OLD, wrote the COE asking if the borrow pit located on 570061 Chef Menteur was still needed.

01/18/12 The COE wrote to Gerry Gillen advising that the Borrow Pit at Chef Menteur was no longer needed and officially turned it over to the OLD. Exhibit 7.

06/29/12 B&P Investments of LA bought 570062 & 570063 Chef Menteur Highway from United Southern Securities for $16,000, each. The properties were 315,374 sq. ft and 263,974 sq. feet, respectively. (See Notarial Archive number 514529) Exhibit 8.

10/05/12 B&PP Trust bought 570061 Chef Menteur from OLD via Sherriff's Auction for $40,000. It was 1,489,316 square feet. Exhibit 9. The Proces Verbal issued by the Sherriffs department states that the OLD, through President Tim Doody, complied with all legal requisites of La. R.S. 41:131-136, which required notice of the sale to any prospective buyer. R.S. 41:134 requires that an appraisal be performed and nothing lower than the appraisal price will be accepted. There is no evidence this was done.

02/22/16 The burrow pit at Lake Forrest/Michoud Boulevard, which the Board approved to be sold, is still owned by OLD. Exhibit 10.