Impastato'��s sentencing date pushed back

By Matthew Penix
St. Tammany News
Published on Friday, June 27, 2008 9:13 AM CDT

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Former St. Tammany Parish Councilman Joe Impastato, who pleaded guilty to scheming kickbacks from a Hurricane Katrina debris removal company, will be sentenced later than originally scheduled.

U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval agreed Monday to change Impastato’s sentencing date from July 9 to Sept. 17, Duval’s office has confirmed.

It’s unclear why the change was made, but typically a judge delays or fast tracks sentencings based on lawyers’ court motions.

Impastato

In April, Impastato, the first public official in the nation investigated for corruption after Katrina, pleaded guilty to soliciting at least $40,000 in kickbacks for brokering a contract for Lacombe-based Ponchartrain Chipping Yard.

He also pleaded guilty to tax evasion charges when he failed to report $18,000 in income on his 2001 tax returns.

Six other charges, including three counts of falsifying income tax returns, extortion, attempted extortion and attempted money laundering, were dismissed under the plea deal.

Impastato faced up to 13 years in prison and up to $350,000 in fines.

Under the deal, prosecutors agreed to a two-year prison sentence.

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