A city-parish code enforcement officer-inspector is in jail after being accused of attempting to extort money from several Baton Rouge-area businesses, including a Greenwell Springs Road nail shop, police say.
Jeremy Jamal Johnson, 29, was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison around 11 a.m. today on counts of attempted felony theft, extortion, malfeasance in office and public bribery, according to Baton Rouge police.
Johnson went to Tammy’s Nail on Oct. 23 and requested to speak to the person in charge, according to police. An unidentified person at the business approached Johnson and asked him why was he visiting the shop when no one had requested an inspection.
According to an arrest warrant, Johnson, who had allegedly arrived in a city-parish vehicle, replied that he was there to conduct an inspection. Police say the unidentified person asked who sent Johnson and reiterated that no one had requested an inspection.
It was at this point, police say, that Johnson allegedly asked for $3,000 to carry out the inspection. Building officials who spoke to police say the inspection usually costs between $40 to $50, according to the warrant.
When the person told Johnson he did not have $3,000, Johnson lowered his request to $2,800, according to police. Again, the person told Johnson he did not have the money, the warrant says. So Johnson allegedly lowered his request again, this time to $2,200, and told the person if he did not pay the business would be shut down.
Fearing the business would be shuttered, the person told Johnson he would have to go home to get a check, the warrant says. Instead, Johnson allegedly insisted that the individual provide cash, saying they could ride to the bank together to get the money. Suspicious, the person called the property owner, who spoke with Johnson, police say.
Johnson then ran out of the business and the person was able to capture a photo of Johnson allegedly riding away in a city-parish vehicle, the warrant says. The person later picked Johnson out of six-person photographic lineup.
Cpl. L’Jean McKneely, a Baton Rouge Police Department spokesman, says officers met with East Baton Rouge Parish Department of Development building officials who provided GPS times and the location of the city-parish truck Johnson is accused of driving away from the business on the day of the alleged crime.
Building officials had conducted an internal investigation and turned over what they had to police, McKneely says. Johnson is the only person arrested in connection with the incident, he says.
It’s unclear if Johnson still is employed with the city-parish. Interim Department of Development Director Carey Chauvin could not be reached before deadline. According to Open Data BR, Johnson has been employed with the department since August 25, 2014.
According to Parish Prison records, a bond had not been set for Johnson as of 2:30 p.m. today. Â McKneely was unable to say how many other businesses Johnson is alleged to have attempted to extort.
—Alexandria Burris
