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WEBVTT THE CHARGES ARESERIOUS, AS THE FEDS ACCUSE THEWELL KNOWN MUSICIAN OF MISUSINGPUBLIC FUNDS WHILE HE RAN THECITY'S LIBRARY BOARD.MAYFIELD WAS INDICTED ON 19COUNTS.THE CHARGES INCLUDE WIRE FRAUD,11 COUNTS OF MONEY LAUNDERING, AND OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE.THE INDICTMENT WAS READ TODAY INFEDERAL COURT.ALL CRIMES ARE PUNISHABLE BYJAIL TIME, IF CONVICTED.THE FEDS SAY BACK IN 2011, MAYFIELD IS ACCUSED OFDELIBERATELY STEERING MORE THAN1 MILLION DOLLARS FROM THELIBRARY BOARD TO HIS OTHERENTITY THE NEW ORLEANS JAZZORCHESTRA.AT THE TIME, MAYFIELD WAS PAID ASIX-FIGURE SALARY BY NOJO, SOTHE FEDS ALLEGE THE MONEY HESTEERED FROM THE LIBRARY BOARDTO NOJO, ENRICHED MAYFIELDDIRECTLY.MAYFIELD IS ALSO ACCUSED OFMAKING EXTRAVAGANT PURCHASESUSING LIBRARY BOARD DONATIONSFOR NON-LIBRARY RELATEDBUSINESS.HIS LONGTIME BUSINESS PARTNER,RONALD MARKHAM WAS ALSO INDICTEDWITH MAYFIELD.MAYFIELD IS USING THE FEDERALPUBLIC DEFENDER, WHO QUESTIONEDTHE FEDS TIMING OF THEINDICTMENT.>> WE KNEW THIS WAS COMING, THEYHAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FORFIVE YEARS.WE ASK FOR IT NOT TO BE 10 DAYSBEFORE CHRISTMAS.THERE WAS NO REASON UNDER THELAW FOR ANY REASON FOR IT TOCOME RIGHT NOW.THEY DID IT ON PURPOSE TO ITSHOWS AN UNPRECEDENTED LEVEL OFMEANNESS.TRAVERS: MAYFIELD'S ATTORNEYSAYS THEY WILL FIGHT THE CHARGESTO THE FULLEST. COMING UP AT 5:00, MAYFIELDATTORNEY EXPLAINS MORE ON WHY HEFEELS HIS CLIENT DID NOTHING

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Jazz musician and New Orleans Jazz Orchestra founder Irvin Mayfield was indicted Thursday on 19 federal counts that include wire fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice.Mayfield was indicted by the federal grand jury as part of an investigation that alleges he steered money from the city's library board into his own pocket, the unsealed indictment from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana describes.Among the charges against the well-known musician are wire fraud, 11 counts of money laundering and a count for obstruction of justice. The crimes are punishable by jail if Mayfield is convicted.WDSU reporter Travers Mackel said federal investigators found that Mayfield steered more than $1 million from the library board to the Jazz Orchestra while he was serving as artistic director and a featured performer.Link: Read full indictment hereMayfield was being paid a six-figure salary by NOJO, which federal investigators allege the money he took from the library board enriched him directly.According to the indictment, Mayfield is also accused of making extravagant purchases using library board donations for non-library board business.Mayfield's business partner, Ronald Markham, is also included in the indictment. Both face the same charges as part of the federal investigation.Markham served as NOJO's president and chief executive officer at the time of the alleged crimes. He also received a six-figure salary and a separate salary through Mayfield Production Company and Mayfield Publishing Co.Investigators said NOJO relied heavily on donations to fund its operations and pay its expenses. The organization also received grants from a charitable trust run by the city of New Orleans, before the funds were cut off in 2011.After that, Mayfield and Markham began a search for new sources of funding, which investigators allege that Mayfield, acting as a board member, transferred money from the New Orleans Public Library Foundation to NOJO."Mayfield and Markham transferred and caused to be transferred large sums of money from NOPLF account to unlawfully enrich themselves," the indictment details.Mayfield's attorney said they will fight the charges to the fullest because the musician said he did nothing wrong.Additional details were not released.Keep up with local news, weather and current events with the WDSU app here. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news right in your inbox. Click here to sign up!