Former Councilman Accused Of Extortion
by Charlie Chapple - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

A federal judge in New Orleans on Wednesday took under study requests by prosecutors and defense attorneys to exclude or allow evidence in the upcoming extortion and money laundering trial of former St. Tammany Parish Councilman Joe Impastato of Lacombe.

Impastato is accused of using his elected position to extort at least $50,000 from the owners of Pontchartrain Chipping Yard in Lacombe for arranging a contract for the yard to be used as a Katrina debris-disposal site. His trial is scheduled for trial Feb. 19.

Prosecutors say $10,000 of the amount allegedly extorted from the Mauberret family, which owns the yard, was to pay Covington lawyer Mike Fawer for a legal opinion sought by Impastato.

According to court records, Impastato agreed to pay Fawer $7,500 for the legal opinion, which concluded that the councilman would not be violating state or federal laws if he received money from Pontchartrain Chipping for brokering a deal for the yard to be used as a disposal site by Omni Pinnacle, the parish contractor for hurricane cleanup.

Prosecutors say Impastato then extorted $10,000 to pay for the legal opinion from the Mauberrets. Fawer gave Impastato an invoice for $10,000 and agreed to return $2,500 to Impastato, according to court records.

The unsigned opinion, researched by Baton Rouge lawyer Michael Hill under a subcontract with Fawer, was given to federal authorities by Fawer shortly after Impastato was arrested by the FBI on Nov. 15, 2005, according to court records. Fawer has not been charged with a crime.