Former member of Gov. Edwards’ Auction Board, Jacob Brown, who was arrested on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 for allegedly issuing $175,000 in worthless checks, many of which are purported to be to the State of Louisiana entailing his auctioning of State surplus equipment.
Sound Off Louisiana subscribers may recall founder Robert Burns’ extensive efforts to ensure auctioneers are included in Sen. John Milkovich’s SB-260 (they were, and the measure becomes law on August 1, 2018), and we placed in the headline the fact that the Louisiana Auctioneer’s Licensing Board (LALB) is now formally recognized as among the three most corrupt boards in Louisiana.
We were not being melodramatic, and we welcome our subscribers to view the previous feature entailing testimony by Burns regarding the LALB’s resolute determination to permit its executive director, Sandy Edmonds, to commit “blatant payroll fraud.”
Also, we’ve recently outlined the extensive corruption of one of Gov. Edwards’ hand-picked board members, Jacob Brown, who has allegedly issued an approximate $175,000+ in worthless checks, and subscribers are welcome to view just how Brown royally screwed both consignors and buyers via the complaints placed on full display at the preceding link.
As long-time Louisiana residents may know, Jacob Brown is the son of Cecil Brown, who served time in Federal prison along with former four-term Louisiana Gov. Edwin Washington Edwards pertaining to bribes in the gaming industry during Edwards’ last term in office from 1992 – 1996. On July 16, 2012, Cecil Brown also was summoned in for an LALB administrative hearing pertaining to illegalities entailing a consignor from the state of Washington (Lance Chipmen).
As long-time Sound Off Louisiana subscribers are aware, Gov. Edwards also appointed Rev. Freddie Lee Phillips, Louisiana’s first and only African American auctioneer, to the LALB on April 20, 2016. After being bombarded with Facebook and other social media pleas to Gov. Edwards by members of the Louisiana Auctioneer’s Association (LAA) for him to rescind that appointment, Gov. Edwards caved and did rescind Phillips’ appointment on May 5, 2016 before Phillips could even attend his first LALB meeting! Four days later, May 9, 2016, Rev. Phillips confronted and challenged Gov. Edwards on his decision on camera. As evidenced by the preceding video clip, Edwards claimed he yanked Phillips because of a “prior commitment.” He also said, “I had to rescind an appointment (to fulfill that commitment), and I rescinded yours.”
Perhaps Gov. Edwards may have been better served to have chosen Brown, who, like Phillips, was one of Edwards’ newly-selected LALB members. Brown was also one of those members of the LAA clamoring for Phillips’ removal as evidenced by the Facebook link above. We point out that Brown’s LAA membership is no longer displayed on the LAA’s website. At any rate, Governor Edwards, in rescinding the appointment of Louisiana’s only African American auctioneer in its history, certainly appeared more than willing to cave to Louisiana auctioneers’ “good ‘ole boy” network, Edwards’ 97% support among African American voters in 2015 notwithstanding! Guess those “prior commitments” must be darn near blood oath covenants, huh, Governor?
At any rate, Jacob Brown, whom Gov. Edwards chose to allow to remain an LALB member rather than Phillips, has now been arrested and charged with multiple felonies as a result of his confusion over his bank balances. After first having been profiled on WAFB’s Crime Stoppers last week, Brown surrendered to authorities yesterday (July 17, 2018). Videos of WAFB’s profiling of Brown on Crime Stoppers and coverage of his arrest have been consolidated into the following video clip which is less than a minute in length, and the WAFB links from which they were derived are beneath the video:
WAFB’s Crime Stoppers profile of Brown as well as his arrest.
So, that was an interesting “prior commitment,” Gov. Edwards..errrrrrrrrrr “Honor Code.” While we commend WAFB for its assist with the apprehension of Brown, it’s nevertheless interesting that they saw fit to omit the fact he was an appointee of Gov. Edwards to his Auction Board and was engaging in these acts at the very time of him serving on the LALB. Just an oversight on WAFB’s part we’re sure! Click here to see our post on the very hush-hush manner in which Gov. Honor Code and the crew at the LALB relieved Brown of his duties. Guess this “prior commitment” was a flat-out bust, huh Gov. Edwards..errrrrrrrr “Honor Code?”
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