It’s board of directors minutes, detailed and sometimes confusing federal regulations and financial records. To prove LaRoque guilty of illegally taking money from East Carolina Development Company through a series of loans and money laundering, federal prosecutors are attempting to show a paper trail.
“It’s an easy concept, theft — just taking what doesn’t belong to you,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis Duffy said Monday.
In his opening argument, Duffy tried to simplify the allegations as much as possible for the jury and make them easier to understand.
The defense countered on several fronts, one being that LaRoque was entitled to 3 percent of the total amount of the federal loans under management, and the money he’s accused of taking was his from the outset.
“I’m not sure where the concept comes from that you can steal your own money,” defense attorney Joe Cheshire said in his opening argument.
The defense also attempted to prove U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations conflicted and were confusing, leading to many of operators of similar private non-profits running afoul of them and not realizing it.
Thursday, Lenoir County Economic Development Director Mark Pope testified as to his role in circumventing rules while on the ECDC board to obtain a loan that went to an ultimately unsuccessful apartment complex project.
Friday, prosecutors hit on the attention-grabbing subjects of Faberge eggs and an ice rink. They alleged LaRoque, with the cooperation of his wife, gave himself money from ECDC to purchase the eggs, and to fund his wife’s ice rink business (which included purchasing a Zamboni).
When the defense asked questions to witnesses of LaRoque’s integrity or commitment to ECDC, each one had positive remarks to say about the former legislator.
The trial resumes Tuesday at 9 a.m. in federal court in
Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 or wes.wolfe@kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.