Former DA Investigator Accused of Lying

U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced today (September 21, 2018) that Jeffery B. Montalbano (58) of  Mandeville was charged yesterday with making false statements to federal authorities.

According to the bill of information, on January 23, 2018, Montalbano met with a special agent with the FBI at 3601 Highway 190, Mandeville, Louisiana and said that neither he, nor an associate (Person 1), had ever received money from Defendant A, and that he had no idea federal agents visited the Office of the District Attorney for the 22nd Judicial District to investigate whether Montalbano had received money from Defendant A.

Montalbano reportedly knew that both of these statements were false, that, in November and December 2013, Person 1 received payments from Defendant A, half of which he then gave to Montalbano, and that Special Agents with the FBI visited the Office of the District Attorney for the 22nd Judicial District on about October 8, 2015, to investigate Montalbano's conduct during the prosecution of Defendant A.

If convicted, Montalbano faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, three years supervised release after imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment.

District Attorney Warren Montgomery also commended the F.B.I. and U.S. Attorney’s Office for their work.  “My office has been cooperating and continues to cooperate with federal authorities,” stated D.A. Montgomery.  “Mr. Montalbano no longer is employed at the District Attorney’s Office, having resigned on April 9, 2018.”

U. S. Attorney Strasser reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.