NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA (BNO NEWS) – A New Orleans, Louisiana woman was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for her participation in a federal felony involving fraud and kickbacks in the Orleans Parish school system, prosecutors announced on Thursday.

Ellenese Brooks-Simms, 71, was the former elected board president of the Orleans Parish School. She admitted that from 2001 to 2004 she conspired with Mose Jefferson, a local businessman, to approve the purchase of an education software program.

Jefferson received $900,000 for his program’s sale. In exchange for her assistance in promoting and approving the software program, Brooks-Simms received $140,000 as a bribe and reward for her services. She and Jefferson distributed the bribery money into various accounts in order to disguise the fraudulent plot.

Brooks-Simms was originally intended to have a sentence between 70 or 87 months’ imprisonment but her cooperation and assistance to the investigation led to a reduced sentence. Her aid resulted in the arrest, and posterior sentence of Jefferson.

“We hope that today’s sentence, in which the Government recognized the value of timely, truthful and full cooperation and assistance by the defendant, sends an unambiguous and powerful recommendation to all individuals who have violated the law, that while criminal conduct will be dealt with severely under federal law, acceptance of responsibility and truthful assistance will be appropriately recognized,” a U.S. Attorney said.