LaRoque indicted by federal grand jury
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on July 17, 2012 4:18 PM
Rep. Stephen LaRoque
State Rep. Stephen LaRoque, R-Lenoir, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on eight criminal counts, U.S. Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced today.
LaRoque, who lost May's Republican primary for state House District 10 to John Bell IV of Wayne County, has been charged with theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and engaging in monetary transactions involving property derived from certain unlawful activity.
The maximum penalty for each count is up to 10 years in prison.
The case, which involved LaRoque's management of his two Kinston-based economic development nonprofit agencies, was investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigations Unit, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the FBI and the SBI.
LaRoque, 48, of Kinston, has served three terms in the state House, winning elections in 2000, 2004 and 2010.