Former Jazz executive testifies in Edwards trial

Natalie Gott

Wednesday, March 8, 2000 | 9:26 a.m.

BATON ROUGE, La. - Baton Rouge businessman Bobby Johnson repeatedly boasted of his close friendship with then-Gov. Edwin Edwards as he pressed for a 12.5 percent interest in a proposed riverboat casino, a former casino executive testified today.

"If I did not cooperate and give in to his threats, Edwin Edwards would assure him that we would not get a license," Mark Bradley told the jury in the federal racketeering trial of Edwards and Johnson.

Bradley, former vice president of operations for Jazz Enterprises, said he notified the FBI after Johnson had called him about the casino twice in early 1994. Bradley agreed to wear a hidden microphone and secretly tape his conversations with Johnson.

In addition to the ownership interest, Johnson also wanted Jazz to purchase land Johnson owned for the riverboat site, Bradley said. Prosecutors have said the purchase price was $400,000.

Johnson, Edwards, Edwards' son Stephen and five others are on trial for allegedly manipulating the riverboat casino licensing process to make a profit. They are accused in a series of extortion and bribery schemes allegedly launched during Edwards' fourth and final four-year term, which ended in January 1996. Their trial began Jan. 10.

Prosecutors characterize Johnson's actions as extortion, even though Jazz never agreed to give Johnson anything. C.J. Blache, a Baton Rouge lobbyist and attorney who worked with Jazz on their application, testified last week that Jazz won a license because the city of Baton Rouge supported Jazz's proposal.

Most of Bradley's morning testimony recapped Jazz's history and the hurdles it faced in getting a license.

Bradley said that in late 1991 he made contacts with a businessman in Las Vegas, Steve Urie, who had been in the gambling business for about 20 years. The two teamed up with another man, Ron Johnson, and formed Jazz Enterprises.

Urie and Johnson came to Baton Rouge and decided to build their proposed casino at an old industrial site on the Mississippi River.

Jazz won preliminary approval for the casino in March 1993 from the Edwards-appointed riverboat casino board and began working on the plans, even though they were skeptical about receiving a riverboat license from state police.

"In our minds, the Louisiana State Police office was just an extension of the governor's mansion. We did not view state police as someone who was going to be fair," Bradley said.

Bradley said Jazz was skeptical of whether they would receive a license because the company's two main competitors, Louisiana Casino Cruises and Lady Luck, had the backing of some of Edwards' friends.

Lady Luck had made several allegations against Jazz, claiming that Jazz had hidden Urie's interest in the casino.

Urie was not originally listed on the casino application as an owner, but, when Argosy became Jazz's operator, Urie was offered a 75 percent option of ownership.

Lady Luck's allegations resulted in an investigation by the Attorney General's office, which found that Jazz had not deceived the Riverboat Gaming Commission.

Johnson's attorney, Patrick Fanning, has said Johnson was trying to reach a business deal with Jazz, not trying to extort them.

Blache last week said the FBI asked Jazz officials in early 1994 to contact authorities if they believed someone was trying to extort them.