Cloistered St. Raymond facing criminal investigationÂ
February 26th, 2010
The Center of Jesus the Lord, a “Catholic charismatic retreat center,” on North Rampart Street is one of two addresses that have surfaced for failed real estate developer Jim St. Raymond. (Photo by Frank Aymami)
Jim St. Raymond’s travels to out-of-state Catholic cloisters have successfully insulated him from a Jefferson Parish civil lawsuit for more than a year. But the political consultant, failed real estate developer and former state representative’s latest shelter, a Rampart Street monastery, cannot conceal him from worsening legal problems.
St. Raymond is under investigation by the Economic Crimes Unit of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, according to an e-mail from Assistant District Attorney Allison Wheeler to Brian Burke, a plaintiffs’ attorney in the civil case.
The JPSO refused to confirm or deny an investigation is taking place.
It’s still uncertain where exactly St. Raymond is staying. He stated in a Feb. 22 federal bankruptcy proceeding that his primary residence is the Esplanade Avenue address listed in his bankruptcy filing, but former New Orleans mayoral candidate John Georges’ campaign disclosures show St. Raymond’s address at 1236 N. Rampart St.
That’s the location of Center of Jesus the Lord, a “Catholic charismatic retreat center,” according to its Web site. The Rev. Lance Campo, the center’s director, declined to comment.
A campaign contribution disclosure form filed with the state shows Georges paid St. Raymond $5,000 for “grass-roots services” Jan. 13, the same day St. Raymond filed for bankruptcy. Calls to Georges’ associates were not returned.
Dozens of attempts since early 2009 to serve St. Raymond court papers in the civil lawsuit have been unsuccessful. The lawsuit accuses St. Raymond of failing to refund escrowed deposits after folding his self-named $350 million condo-retail project on Jefferson Highway.
Gayan Juarez and Andrew Bellard, former employees of St. Raymond, have said they witnessed St. Raymond transfer the escrow account balance to an account for St. Raymond Communications, his consulting firm.
“He basically wiped the account clean,” Bellard said.
Some of the escrow money was used for “operations,” St. Raymond said in the bankruptcy proceeding, but he claimed not to know how or why it happened.
“No money was used for my personal use,” St. Raymond said in a barely audible voice.
Aaron Caillouet, a court trustee presiding over the bankruptcy case, asked for information about the St. Raymond Communications account dating back six months.
“It’s sketchy, but we’ll do that,” replied Claude Lightfoot, St. Raymond’s attorney.
St. Raymond and Lightfoot declined comment after the court hearing.
Before the proceeding began, a representative of Burke’s firm handed an envelope to St. Raymond with notices that more of his bank records would be subpoenaed. The envelope also contained Burke’s long-stalled motion in the civil suit to hold St. Raymond in contempt. Burke initially filed the motion after St. Raymond missed an October 2008 deposition but has had to re-file it several times because of failed service attempts.
October 2008 is also when St. Raymond was pictured in a San Antonio monastery’s newsletter standing in front of San Fernando Cathedral. The Rev. George Montague, director of Brothers of the Beloved Disciple, the monastery that published the newsletter, confirmed St. Raymond’s 10-day stay. St. Raymond had visited to seek a religious vocation, Montague said.
“He seemed to still be searching,” Montague said, adding that St. Raymond later traveled to a Catholic community in Omaha, Neb.
Juarez said St. Raymond called her in October after spending six months in Omaha. Since then, St. Raymond has earned income scooping up odd political jobs.
St. Raymond stated in the bankruptcy proceeding that he last worked as a consultant for Leslie Jacobs’ mayoral campaign, whose filings show St. Raymond’s Esplanade Avenue address.
Jacobs, who paid $15,000 for his services, said St. Raymond did “one push card for me. That’s it.”
St. Raymond worked for Jacobs on a “guaranteed fee” between mid-November and mid-December, when her campaign folded, she said.
“There was a minimum amount he was willing to get,” Jacobs said.
At the end of January, Kenner mayoral candidate Phil Capitano confirmed that St. Raymond worked on his campaign for the March 6 election. But health problems forced St. Raymond to quit working for the campaign, Capitano said.
Several people called to recommend St. Raymond, Capitano said. Although he could not remember names, St. Raymond’s first cousin, Sen. David Vitter, “may have” been among those who called, Capitano said.
Vitter’s press office did not respond to an interview request.•
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