Relatives of indicted congressman charged

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - The sister, brother and niece of U.S. Democratic Rep. William Jefferson, who faces bribery charges involving $90,000 found in his freezer, were charged with conspiracy and fraud in an indictment made public on Wednesday.

The charges result from a federal investigation of charities set up to benefit the needy and run by members of the Jefferson family.

Jefferson's sister, Betty Jefferson, 70, an elected New Orleans property tax assessor; his brother, Mose Jefferson, 66; and Betty Jefferson's daughter, Angela Coleman, 53, were accused of misusing charity funds.

"These nonprofits were simply looted by the defendants," New Orleans U.S. Attorney Jim Letten said.

The 31-count indictment alleges the defendants stole sums of money as large as $620,000 from the charities. The potential penalties, if they are convicted on all counts, add up to more than 200 years for each defendant, Letten said.

William Jefferson, a congressman since 1991 whose district includes New Orleans, was charged last year with racketeering, soliciting bribes for himself and his family, fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice, conspiracy and violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

He was accused of soliciting millions of dollars in bribes from nearly a dozen companies while using his office to broker business deals in Africa. In a search of his home, FBI agents said they found $90,000 in bribe money in his freezer. He has pleaded not guilty.

Mose Jefferson already faces another federal indictment in New Orleans charging him with bribing the former president of the Orleans Parish School Board to award his company a school contract.

The new indictment alleges six other members of the Jefferson family participated in the charity-related crimes. Letten refused to comment on the six, whom the indictment identifies only as Family Members 1 through 6.

"I can tell you that this investigation most definitely continues," Letten said.

(Writing by Bruce Nichols; Editing by Anna Driver and Peter Cooney)