A former police chief in Amite City and current Amite City councilmember pleaded guilty yesterday in New Orleans to criminally violating federal election laws as part of a conspiracy to pay, or offer to pay, voters for voting in a federal election.
72 YO Jerry Trabona, the former Chief of Police in Amite City, and 49 YO Kristian “Kris” Hart, a current Amite City councilmember, pleaded guilty to conspiring to pay and offering to pay voters residing in Tangipahoa Parish for voting in the 2016 open primary election and the 2016 open general election. Trabona and Hart admitted that they agreed with each other and others to pay or offer to pay voters during contests in which the defendants were candidates, and in which federal candidates appeared on the same ballot.
In addition to the conspiracy with Trabona, Hart pleaded guilty to three counts of paying and offering to pay voters during both the 2016 and 2020 elections. Hart was running for the seat he currently holds on the Amite City Council.
Both defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 1 and face up to five years in prison on each count.
