{"id":651,"date":"2016-12-28T11:40:24","date_gmt":"2016-12-28T11:40:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/haroldweiser.com\/\/?p=583"},"modified":"2025-12-28T12:00:59","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T12:00:59","slug":"french-market-director-acquitted-in-theft-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onlinewebsolutions.store\/haroldweiser\/french-market-director-acquitted-in-theft-case\/","title":{"rendered":"French Market director acquitted in theft case"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"651\" class=\"elementor elementor-651\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ceb3b0e e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"ceb3b0e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3351ddb7 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" 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1 54.7 16.5 69.6 39.5-35 30.1-80.4 48.4-130.1 48.4zm162.7-84.1c-24.4-31.4-62.1-51.9-105.1-51.9-10.2 0-26 9.6-57.6 9.6-31.5 0-47.4-9.6-57.6-9.6-42.9 0-80.6 20.5-105.1 51.9C61.9 339.2 48 299.2 48 256c0-110.3 89.7-200 200-200s200 89.7 200 200c0 43.2-13.9 83.2-37.3 115.9z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"hfe-post-info-text hfe-post-info__item hfe-post-info__item--type-author\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tadmin\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<li class=\"hfe-post-info-item elementor-repeater-item-b979901 hfe-post-info-inline-item\" itemprop=\"about\"> \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"hfe-post-info-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-tags\" viewBox=\"0 0 640 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M497.941 225.941L286.059 14.059A48 48 0 0 0 252.118 0H48C21.49 0 0 21.49 0 48v204.118a48 48 0 0 0 14.059 33.941l211.882 211.882c18.744 18.745 49.136 18.746 67.882 0l204.118-204.118c18.745-18.745 18.745-49.137 0-67.882zM112 160c-26.51 0-48-21.49-48-48s21.49-48 48-48 48 21.49 48 48-21.49 48-48 48zm513.941 133.823L421.823 497.941c-18.745 18.745-49.137 18.745-67.882 0l-.36-.36L527.64 323.522c16.999-16.999 26.36-39.6 26.36-63.64s-9.362-46.641-26.36-63.64L331.397 0h48.721a48 48 0 0 1 33.941 14.059l211.882 211.882c18.745 18.745 18.745 49.137 0 67.882z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"hfe-post-info-text hfe-post-info__item hfe-post-info__item--type-terms\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"hfe-post-info__terms-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/onlinewebsolutions.store\/haroldweiser\/category\/criminal-defense\/\" class=\"hfe-post-info__terms-list-item\">Criminal Defense<\/a>\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6aa0ebba elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6aa0ebba\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Kenneth Ferdinand, the former executive director of the French Market Corp., may have gotten spendy with the city agency\u2019s credit cards, but none of it amounted to theft, a judge ruled late Friday. Orleans Parish Criminal District Judge Arthur Hunter acquitted Ferdinand of a theft charge after a\u00a0two-day trial\u00a0that spanned more than a month.<\/p><div id=\"asset-8930453\">Kenneth Ferdinand was executive director of the French Market Corp. for three years. Nakia Hogan, The Times-Picayune<\/div><p>Ferdinand had been\u00a0accused of making more than $10,000\u00a0in improper purchases over his three years at the helm of the agency that oversees the famed, 220-year-old market that runs along North Peters Street in the French Quarter.<\/p><p>Most of the disputed charges were for meals, gas and bicycle repairs, and Ferdinand attempted to repay $5,000 of it in a failed attempt to salvage his job.<\/p><p>The repayment amounted to an admission of guilt, prosecutor David Pipes argued.<\/p><p>All told, Ferdinand misused the cards 136 times \u201cas his own personal piggy bank,\u201d Pipes said.<\/p><p>But in a two-page written verdict, Hunter said District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro\u2019s office had failed to prove that Ferdinand stole anything. There was no evidence, Hunter found, that any of the charges were for Ferdinand\u2019s personal use.<\/p><div id=\"asset-9847764\">Ted Jackson, The Times-Picayune archive<\/div><p>\u201cIn the present case, simply \u2018saying\u2019 or \u2018assuming\u2019 the defendant \u2018misused\u2019 a FMC credit card is wholly insufficient to prove criminal conduct,\u201d he wrote.<\/p><p>Hunter also rejected a lesser charge of unauthorized use of a movable, and Ferdinand, who was out on bail, walked free.<\/p><p>Cannizzaro\u2019s office reacted harshly to the verdict.<\/p><p>\u201cDistrict Attorney Cannizzaro has fought hard to eliminate corruption, and unfortunately Arthur Hunter thwarted our efforts today,\u201d said Assistant District Attorney Christopher Bowman, a spokesman for the office.<\/p><div id=\"asset-8351920\"><strong>Judge Arthur Hunter<\/strong><\/div><div>\u00a0<\/div><div>Michelle Krupa, The Times-Picayune<\/div><p>\u201cHis press release \u2013 I mean verdict \u2013 is extremely confusing,\u201d Bowman added. \u201cThe state presented evidence that when he was confronted by these charges, he\u2019d pay the money back. The judge makes no reference to (Ferdinand\u2019s) statements to that effect.\u201d<\/p><p>According to testimony, Ferdinand actually overstated by $6,000 the amount he claimed was his responsibility.<\/p><p>Ferdinand declined to talk about the case after the verdict. His attorney, James Gray, called the prosecution \u201coutrageous.\u201d<\/p><p>\u201cNo one from the French Market Corporation ever said, \u2018This amounted to theft,&#8217;\u201d Gray said. \u201cThey took his attempt to resolve a simple dispute as an admission of guilt without even looking at the (credit card) charges.\u201d<\/p><p>The resumption of a trial that began Aug. 17 was delayed until Friday afternoon while Gray was receiving Mayor\u00a0Mitch Landrieu\u2019s endorsement\u00a0in the race for the City Council District E seat.<\/p><p>In court, Gray challenged the idea that anyone at the French Market Corporation claimed Ferdinand stole anything. Ferdinand resigned in summer, 2010 at the request of the board, after a few board members complained over his management style and the credit card charges.<\/p><p>The disputed purchases were brought to the full board\u2019s attention by then-President Charles Napoli and then-board member Gwen Carter.<\/p><p>Trustees criticized him for a disorganized management style and some deals he had cut without the board\u2019s approval, including one allowing the National Football League to use French Market parking lots at a reduced rate.<\/p><p>Ferdinand served as executive director for three years. According to Pipes, the credit card charges became more frequent over time, in some cases including as many as four lunches in a day.<\/p><p>Ferdinand was charged last year, in a rare foray by Cannizzaro\u2019s office into alleged public corruption. The theft charge came days after New Orleans Inspector General Ed Quatrevaux reported\u00a0myriad troubles in the financial oversight\u00a0of the agency.<\/p><p>Along with the market, the public corporation also manages the city-owned Upper Pontalba apartments and storefronts on Jackson Square.<\/p><p>The corporation, which has one shareholder \u2014 the mayor \u2014 runs on a $25 million budget, according to board member Russell Carll.<\/p><p>\u201cKeeping records was not his forte,\u201d Carll said of Ferdinand. \u201cThe only thing he did wrong was the stupid thing of paying the $5,000.\u201d<\/p><p>For more information about a <a title=\"New Orleans Criminal Defense Lawyer\" href=\"https:\/\/haroldweiser.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">New Orleans Criminal Defense Lawyer<\/a> contact Attorney Harold E. Weiser III<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home December 28, 2016 admin Criminal Defense Kenneth Ferdinand, the former executive director of the French Market Corp., may have gotten spendy with the city agency\u2019s credit cards, but none of it amounted to theft, a judge ruled late Friday. Orleans Parish Criminal District Judge Arthur Hunter acquitted Ferdinand of a theft charge after a\u00a0two-day [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-criminal-defense"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlinewebsolutions.store\/haroldweiser\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlinewebsolutions.store\/haroldweiser\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlinewebsolutions.store\/haroldweiser\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlinewebsolutions.store\/haroldweiser\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlinewebsolutions.store\/haroldweiser\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=651"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/onlinewebsolutions.store\/haroldweiser\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17834,"href":"https:\/\/onlinewebsolutions.store\/haroldweiser\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651\/revisions\/17834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlinewebsolutions.store\/haroldweiser\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlinewebsolutions.store\/haroldweiser\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlinewebsolutions.store\/haroldweiser\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}