[StBernard] Meraux Foundation drops suits against company partly owned by sheriff

[Westley Annis]

Meraux Foundation drops suits against company partly owned by sheriff

Published: Wednesday, February 29, 2012, 4:20 PM     Updated: Wednesday,
February 29, 2012, 4:23 PM

 By Dennis Persica, The Times-Picayune 

Two lawsuits filed in January by the Arlene and Joseph Meraux Charitable
Foundation against Amigo Enterprises Inc., a company partially owned by St.
Bernard Parish Sheriff Jack Stephens, has been settled out of court.

The plaintiffs, which also include the successions of Arlene and Joseph
Meraux, requested dismissal of the suit Friday "on the ground that all
claims asserted therein have been settled, as per agreement."

The dismissal was granted the same day by 34th Judicial District Court Judge
Kirk Vaughn.

The multimillion-dollar non-profit Meraux Foundation had accused Amigo of
not paying the foundation its share of the $5.5 million that Amigo got from
renting marina space in Hopedale to BP during the Gulf of Mexico oil-spill
cleanup in the summer of 2010.

The Meraux Foundation oversees one of the single largest collections of real
estate holdings in St. Bernard, prime properties throughout downtown New
Orleans and the French Quarter, and numerous other businesses connected to
the estate, a vast fortune estimated at $50 million to $250 million.

Amigo has a long-term lease with the foundation for the waterfront marina
property in the eastern part of the parish. Amigo is supposed to pay $1,500
per month to the foundation, with inflation adjustments every five years
since 1996. That would put the figure to about $2,000 per month.

In addition to the rent, the lease states that Amigo is supposed to pay 10
percent of all gross income from any subleases or contracts to the
foundation.

Stephens has a one-third interest in Amigo, along with his cousin and former
chief deputy, Tony Fernandez Jr., and another associate, John Despeaux.

In the summer of 2010, Amigo was renting marina space in Hopedale to BP for
$1.1 million per month since the beginning of the spill, the oil company
previously acknowledged.

Rita Gue, the president of the Meraux Foundation and Arlene Meraux's niece,
complained at that time that Amigo was not paying the stipulated 10 percent
of its gross income from BP to the charity, as outlined in a lease agreement

Stephens has said in the past that his Amigo Enterprises contract was
originally with Joseph Meraux, Arlene Meraux's longtime companion, which
predated both the foundation and his being elected sheriff in 1983.

Joseph Meraux inherited large swaths of undeveloped land that had been in
the name of his father, legendary St. Bernard Parish Sheriff Louis A. "Doc"
Meraux. When Joseph Meraux died, the land went to Arlene Soper, his longtime
companion, who changed her name to Arlene Meraux soon after.

Her will stated that her entire multimillion-dollar fortune should go to a
private foundation to "improve the quality of life and standard of living of
the residents of St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana."

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