School Bd. member pleads not guilty to corruption charges

Ira Thomas, a former NOPD officer, who most recently served as SUNO’s police chief and stepped down from his post as a member of the Orleans Parish School Board earlier this month, has entered a not guilty plea after being hit with corruption charges by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“This money ultimately was delivered to Mr. Thomas,” U.S. Attorney Kenneth Polite said at a March 6 press conference. It was not clear, however, if it was ever deposited into his campaign fund.

“I appreciate the U.S. attorney for bringing this to light,” fellow OPSB member Woody Koppel told Nola.com. “We’ve always wanted to shine a bright light on the school board, whether it would be with the inspector general or somebody else.”

“It puts a black eye on the city of New Orleans,” Koppel added, “and people just think, “Same-old, same-old.’ We’ve worked hard to get past that image, and now it’s like a step back.”

Thomas entered his plea Monday in federal court.

Thomas was charged by federal prosecutors in a bill of information alleging he took a $5,000 payoff to help an unidentified person get an Orleans Parish school system janitorial services contract. A bill of information typically signals that a defendant is cooperating with prosecutors.

The Associated Press reported that Thomas signed a waiver Monday allowing prosecutors to pursue the case without seeking an indictment from a grand jury.

Thomas, who also resigned his post as head of the police department at Southern University in New Orleans, declined comment as he left the courthouse with his defense attorney.

This article originally published in the March 16, 2015 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.