Angela Coleman (born 1963), daughter of

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

Fourth Municipal District Assessor

Betty Jefferson Betty Jefferson(born 1938) is the elected assessor of New Orleans' Fourth Municipal District; she was first elected on 1998 February 7 and was reelected in 2002 and 2006. Before her political career in New Orleans she lived for a number of years in ...

, was one of four individuals indicted in 2009 by federal

grand jury A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a pe ...

for the

U.S. Justice Department The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...

's Eastern District of Louisiana. The charges on violations of the

Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. RICO was en ...

(RICO) Act were also directed against Betty Jefferson,

Mose Jefferson Mose Oliver Jefferson (August 28, 1942 – May 12, 2011) was a member of the New Orleans family that includes his younger brother, former U.S. Representative William J. Jefferson. On 21 August 2009, Mose Jefferson was convicted on four felony counts ...

, and Mose Jefferson's companion

Renée Gill Pratt Renée Gill Pratt (born 1954) is an American politician from New Orleans, Louisiana. She was also Director of the Center for Student Retention and Success in Southern University at New Orleans. On July 25, 2011, she was found guilty of racketeering ...

Brenda Jefferson Foster Brenda Jefferson Foster (1955 – May 17, 2010) was a witness for the prosecution in the 2008-2009 trials of her older siblings Betty Jefferson and Mose Jefferson, Betty Jefferson's daughter Angela Coleman, and Mose Jefferson's companion former ...

, a younger sister of convicted felon

William J. Jefferson William Jennings Jefferson (born March 14, 1947) is an American former politician from Louisiana whose career ended after his corruption scandal and conviction. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for nine terms from 1991 ...

, had pleaded guilty to a minor charge in the same racketeering case. She agreed to a plea-bargain exchange by which she would testify against the others. On 2009 June 5 all the remaining defendants pleaded not guilty. In all, according to New Orleans

U.S. attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal c ...

Jim Letten James B. Letten (born September 12, 1953) is an American attorney. A career prosecutor, Letten served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana for more than eleven years. By the time Letten resigned as U.S. Attorney in December 20 ...

, the charges involve 31 felony counts. These do not overlap the 16 felony counts alleged against Angela Coleman's uncle, former

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

. At a hearing before U. S. District Judge

Ivan L. R. Lemelle Ivan L. R. Lemelle (born 1950) is a Senior Status, Senior United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Early life and education Born in Opelousas, Louisiana, ...

on 2009 June 17, lawyers for Betty Jefferson and Angela Coleman requested a delay from the 2009 August 3 start date for the racketeering trial; at the same hearing, however, lawyers for Gill Pratt and Mose Jefferson requested that the racketeering trial begin as scheduled on August 3. On 2009 July 28, Lemelle delayed the start of the racketeering trial to 2010 January 25. If proved, the charges—raised under provisions of the

(RICO) Act—can result in up to 20 years' imprisonment, $250,000 in fines, and stiff penalties of forfeiture. Some of the charges involved fraudulent use of e-mail.U.S. Attorney Eastern District of Louisiana, 2009 May 22.
/ref>

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coleman, Angela 1963 births Living people Louisiana Democrats Politicians from Chicago Politicians from New Orleans Women in Louisiana politics 21st-century American women