A little more than five months after being indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple counts of wire fraud and money laundering, Baton Rouge contractor Nathian Hossley pleaded guilty today to the charges.
The counts arise from a more than $1.2 million contract Hossley’s company, First Millennium Construction, received as a subcontractor on the construction of the Impact Charter School in Baker.
According to a news release, Hossley entered his plea before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles. His sentencing date has not been set.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Walt Green says Hossley admitted to withholding from Bouma Construction—the Michigan company that hired him—his previous federal convictions for wire fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and providing a false statement in connection with a bank loan as well as his pending civil litigation.
He also admitted to submitting payment applications to Bouma Construction that falsely underestimated and omitted money owed to vendors and subcontractors he hired to do the job.
Green says Hossley was able to hide that he was using the money Bouma Construction paid him on personal expenses such as credit cards, bank withdrawals and money transfers to his restaurant, Spice Bistro. Hossley also admitted to forging documents and checks that were deposited into First Millennium’s bank account.
Hossley was indicted in April by a federal grand jury.
Read a November 2015 Business Report article detailing Bouma’s civil lawsuit against Hossley and FMC, which alleged Hossley owed subcontractors more than $600,000.
