04-24-2012, 07:05 PM
State, feds investigating allegations against Mickey Loomis
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82...line_stack
State and federal law officials have opened an investigation to determine if New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis violated wiretapping laws after allegations that a rigged device in his stadium suite allowed him to listen to opposing coaches' conversations.
ESPN's "Outside The Lines" reported Monday that an unidentified source claimed Loomis ordered a device in his Superdome suite be re-wired so he could listen to opponents' conversations through his own earpiece from 2002 to 2004. The report said it is unknown if Loomis ever used the device, which was located in front of his seat.
The Superdome was re-wired and remodeled, following the damage it sustained after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and other upgrades made to the city's landmark domed stadium, so that could make finding evidence of these allegations difficult.
Loomis could have violated state and federal wiretapping laws if he did listen to opponents without their knowledge, but the statute of limitations to prosecute him if he's found to have used the device could have expired, based on the timeframe of the allegations. The federal statute of limitations is five years in such cases, and it's six years according to Louisiana state law.
Even so, Loomis could face sanctions from the NFL if law enforcement or its own investigation finds wrongdoing. The league said the ESPN report was the first notice it had of the wiretapping allegations but declined to say if it's opening its own investigation.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82...line_stack
State and federal law officials have opened an investigation to determine if New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis violated wiretapping laws after allegations that a rigged device in his stadium suite allowed him to listen to opposing coaches' conversations.
ESPN's "Outside The Lines" reported Monday that an unidentified source claimed Loomis ordered a device in his Superdome suite be re-wired so he could listen to opponents' conversations through his own earpiece from 2002 to 2004. The report said it is unknown if Loomis ever used the device, which was located in front of his seat.
The Superdome was re-wired and remodeled, following the damage it sustained after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and other upgrades made to the city's landmark domed stadium, so that could make finding evidence of these allegations difficult.
Loomis could have violated state and federal wiretapping laws if he did listen to opponents without their knowledge, but the statute of limitations to prosecute him if he's found to have used the device could have expired, based on the timeframe of the allegations. The federal statute of limitations is five years in such cases, and it's six years according to Louisiana state law.
Even so, Loomis could face sanctions from the NFL if law enforcement or its own investigation finds wrongdoing. The league said the ESPN report was the first notice it had of the wiretapping allegations but declined to say if it's opening its own investigation.