Feds indict 2 Explo Systems owners, 4 officials

NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Federal prosecutors in northwest Louisiana have unsealed a 32-count indictment against owners and officials of a company accused of leaving 7,800 tons of potentially explosive artillery propellant at a Louisiana National Guard facility.
A news release says Explo Systems Inc. owners David Perry Fincher of Burns, Tennessee, and David Alan Smith of Winchester, Kentucky, and four officials from northwest Louisiana were indicted.
The indictment includes allegations that they lied to get a contract to “demilitarize” the M6 artillery propellant, stored the propellant unsafely and obstructed inspections at Camp Minden.
All six are charged with criminal conspiracy. One official is also charged with one count of lying to a federal agency. The other five face six counts each of wire fraud and more than 20 counts each of making false statements.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.