Former Jazz executive to testify Wednesday in Edwards trial

Natalie Gott

Wednesday, March 8, 2000 | 9:21 a.m.

BATON ROUGE, La. - A former riverboat casino executive who secretly taped several conversations he had with defendant Bobby Johnson will be on the witness stand today when Edwin Edwards' federal racketeering case resumes after a four-day Mardi Gras weekend.

Mark Bradley is a former vice president of Jazz Enterprises Inc., which was awarded a riverboat casino license in 1994 and then opened the Belle of Baton Rouge.

Bradley called the FBI after Edwards' co-defendant, Bobby Johnson, told Jazz officials he could help them get a riverboat casino license if they gave him a 12.5 percent ownership interest in the casino, prosecutors said. Johnson also boasted about his friendship with Edwards, prosecutors added.

Johnson, Edwards and five others are on trial for allegedly manipulating the riverboat casino licensing process to make a profit. Their trial began Jan. 10.

Prosecutors say Jazz never paid off anyone to get its license despite Johnson's attempts to extort them. 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 supported Jazz's proposal.

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

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

Bradley has said before that the FBI gave Jazz officials no names, but asked that they call if anyone approached them with improper requests.

After Johnson contacted Jazz, Bradley agreed to wear a wire and record his telephone conversations with Johnson. Many of those conversations will be played in court.