Thursday, January 09, 2014

DHECC: Here come the claw backs

I'm posting a lengthy number hopefully by tomorrow.  I am anticipating the release of the next Freeh report tomorrow and I want to fill you folks in on some things before it's released.

Yesterday, in a legal filing, Freeh asked Barbier to take back about $357,000 from the Andry Law Firm over the Thonn claim.  I think you count on this being the first in many more to come.

Freeh asks judge to rescind oil spill award

Here is the document.

AZ commenter Kevin had this to say:


Kevin has left a new comment on your post "A pregnant paragraph....": 

A motion was filed today by Special Master Freeh and, in my non-lawyer understanding or what I’m reading, it seems to make allegations that Casey Thonn submitted false tax returns to the DHECC to support his BP claim. The motion seems to ask the court to require Casey Thonn and “all professionals who assisted Mr. Thonn and benefitted from this unjustified payment from the DHECC.”

Freeh’s motion says: 

“Upon information and belief, Mr. Thonn’s counsel, the AndryLerner LLC law firm and its partners Jonathan Andry and Glen Lerner, received attorney’s fees for Mr. Thonn’s seafood claims. Approximately $35,700.23 of these fees was transferred as a referral fee to Lionel Sutton, III, a former DHECC staff member.”

“Coastal Claims Group, LLC submitted an invoice for $20,182.50 for its accounting work preparing the Report supporting Mr. Thonn’s seafood claims.”

$20 Grand to audit an allegedly fraudulent tax return? I believe there is a special allowance in the BP claims process for claimants to be reimbursed for accounting expenses in connection with auditing and certifying claims information. I bet that spawned a cottage industry for CPA firms!

I looked up Coastal Claims Group, LLC and found that Kevin Ingram of Covington, Steven Scott of New York, Brooke Andry of New Orleans and Bert Verdigets of Metairie are Members of the LLC.


There are a couple of familiar names in there

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kevin Ingram? Is he related to Bay Ingram? Bay was convicted of a federal crime and BP was the victim. He received time in federal prison. Those Ingrams are deep and tied to the political power in St. Tammany Parish and the State of Louisiana ala business partnerships and financial dealings.

Anonymous said...

Note Freeh isn't asking to have the PSC to disgorge the 6 percent of each award it gets in common benefit fees, while Thonn and the attorneys have to disgorge themselves of the money they got.

Anonymous said...

The common benefit fees totals 6% of the "gross settlement amount in the case of private claimants [and] 4% in the case of state or local governmental claimants."

So, let’s play this out… if you have a claim and you are awarded a total of $100, the first $6 goes to the so-called common benefit account for the PSC. Right?

That would mean, there is no deduction for costs, legal fees to your attorney, etc.

So let’s follow the case of the ‘allegedly’ corrupt "Thonn" claims 19690 and 19691, as reported by Freeh, isn’t he seeking a disgorgement of the award to Thonn, and a similar disgorgement of the fees Andry and Lerner got for representing Thonn, as well as any money paid from the settlement to Sutton, due to the alleged DHECC rules violation?

I believe Freeh also wants money from Coastal Claims Group, insofar as it received any part of the claims. Also recognize that he is seeking costs associated with the Order he submitted to the court.

I did not see anything in Document 12107 from the AZ post of January 9th on this subject and it suggests the PSC will have to disgorge itself of the 6% (of the gross) common benefit fee it should have received when the Thonn claims were settled. I wonder if the PSC needs to refund its 6%?

Note, however, Document 12107 on AZ is missing pages 11-14 of the entire document, so there may be something in the rest of the document that addresses the PSC common benefit fee.

Anonymous said...

"Kevin Ingram? Is he related to Bay Ingram? Bay was convicted of a federal crime and BP was the victim. He received time in federal prison. Those Ingrams are deep and tied to the political power in St. Tammany Parish and the State of Louisiana ala business partnerships and financial dealings.".....
I know for a fact that there is no relation between Kevin Ingram and Bay Ingram.

Kevin said...

Jason:

Knowing how much you like James Varney, I know it's risky to do this here on AZ, but here goes:

http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2014/01/in_bp_spills_claim_process_spe.html

I like that "photograph" link on NOLA's commenting feature.
_________


Anonymous at January 16, 2014 at 12:45:00 AM CST:

Have any PSC attorneys called/emailed/texted/faxed or communicated in any other way with the DHECC/CAO, where they sought assistance with their clients' claims?

Did they ask that their clients' claims be given special attention, such as expediting a claim in way, shape or form?

Did they ask that their clients not be required to provide documentation ordinarily required for other claimants?

Did their clients' claims receive any preferential, special, favored, privileged, superior, better or partisan attention, treatment, consideration, etc.

Did other lawyers, accountants, people seek better treatment, etc. for their clients by saying they were somehow associated or in a group with a PSC member(s)?

Did PSC members seek better treatment, etc. of claims for clients of other lawyers, accountants, people by saying they were somehow associated or in a group with the PSC member(s)?

Did the PSC members do any of the above after Pat Juneau was appointed as Special Master, but before there was a final judgment on the approval of the BP settlements?

Does Mr. Freeh have any evidence of this stuff?

Does any evidence of this stuff exist on computers, phones, tablets, etc.?


Kevin said...


Anonymous January 16, 2014 at 12:45:00 AM CST, or anyone else who knows:

Did any PSC member file formal hardship requests for any of their clients seeking to have their claims expedited?

Anonymous said...

Is Brooke Andry of Coastal Claims related to Jon and Gibby Andry?

Jason Brad Berry said...

Yes, sister I believe.

Anonymous said...

Isn't that kind of apparent something is "wrong in Denmark" regarding the Andry brothers?

Anonymous said...

There was an opposition filed against 'Master Freeh' by Coastal Claims Group today. Interesting read. Wish I could figure out how to link it to your site.