New Orleans skyline (Photo credit: Verruckte Dan)

Hollywood has corrupted the local film commission in New Orleans. Film commission director, Mark S. Smith, was taking kickbacks, issued by film studios and passed on via check to third parties, then given to him in cash, for accepting fake film budgets that were inflated and giving large tax and cash rebates in exchange for his corrupted services.

A FBI agent stated of the case, "We will work together to identify those individuals who conspire with each other to defraud the system to benefit themselves, while the state, its reputation and its citizens suffer."

Robert S. Mueller

I am not impressed with this vanity arrest by Robert S. Mueller's FBI. Since when does the FBI care about "reputation" and "citizens suffering" when it allows a dirty pop fraud, Madonna, to run lose, engaging in massive financial crimes, that severely defrauded and abused a black immigrant family, to the point, audiences domestically and worldwide, were so appalled they boycotted she and her Hollywood conspirators to such degrees, their sales plunged into obscurity and commercial failure.    

It's a shame it takes everyday people to do what the FBI is too cowardly and corrupt to do. But you can continue to allow those depraved beasts like Madonna, to run loose in Hollywood, committing financial crime after crime and see what it does for investor confidence domestically and worldwide.

Madwoman Madonna

Madonna and her associates at Sony, among others in Hollywood, are clearly illustrating for the whole world to see, corruption, financial fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud and other unsavory monetary schemes, are still the order of the day in corporate America.

That's the worst possible testimony that can be rendered, one visibly seen by millions of readers, many of whom are potential investors, while many others are members of dozens of world governments and financial firms.

Former Louisiana Film Commission Director Sentenced in Bribery Scheme

NEW ORLEANS, LA—Mark S. Smith, the former Director of the Louisiana Film Commission and an attorney, age 47, a resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced this morning in federal court by U. S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt to two years (24 months) in federal prison as well as pay a $67,500 fine, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten.

In addition, Judge Engelhardt ordered that SMITH serve three (3) years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment, during which time he will be under federal supervision and risk additional imprisonment should he violate any terms of the supervision.

According to court documents, SMITH pled guilty on September 7, 2007 to a two-count Bill of Information charging him with conspiracy and bribery in connection with a program receiving federal funds. SMITH admitted that between 2003 and 2005, while serving as Director of the Louisiana Film Commission, he approved fraudulently inflated movie budgets submitted by a film production company in order for the film company to receive state tax credits. In return, SMITH accepted cash bribes totaling over $65,000.00. Additionally, SMITH admitted that a businessman wrote corporate checks to a third party who cashed the checks and passed the cash to SMITH.

Michael J. De Palma, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation stated:

"The film industry is important for the future economy of Louisiana. Today's sentence makes it clear that the federal law enforcement community and the United States Attorney's Office will work together to identify those individuals who conspire with each other to defraud the system to benefit themselves, while the state, its reputation and its citizens suffer. Special Agents of IRS Criminal Investigation are highly skilled investigators who will continue to work with the FBI and other federal and state law enforcement partners to ferret out corruption wherever it is found."

Two other individuals, William Bradley, a Hammond attorney, and Malcolm Petal, a film executive and attorney were charged, pled guilty and sentenced in a related separate case before U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk.

Bradley, charged with conspiracy to bribe a state official was sentenced to serve ten months in federal prison. Malcolm Petal, also charged with conspiracy, was sentenced to serve five years in jail, a fine of $15,000.00 and restitution to the State of Louisiana of $1,350,000.00...

http://neworleans.fbi.gov