Raymond Reggie, politically connected Mandeville businessman, pleads guilty to federal fraud charge

Once accused in a multicount $1.2 million fraud and money-laundering scheme, politically connected Mandeville businessman Raymond Reggie pleaded guilty Tuesday in Baton Rouge federal court to a single wire fraud count that alleges just over $14,000 in fraudulent conduct.

The long-running case involved Reggie billing a group of south Louisiana automobile dealerships — Super Chevy Dealers of Baton Rouge and Slidell-based Supreme Automotive Group — for advertising purchases he never made.

Reggie, who was scheduled to stand trial next week, previously pleaded guilty in the same case in 2014 to five counts of mail fraud and was later sentenced by U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick to more than 11 years in prison and ordered to make $1.2 million in restitution.

But a New Orleans federal appeals court tossed out the plea and sentence in 2016 because Reggie argued he was impaired by a stroke when he entered his guilty plea. Dick recused herself after that ruling.

Read more: https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/courts/article_c109dfcc-65dd-11e9-9d17-1373aa96882a.html