A woman who worked in the New Orleans Office of Safety and Permits was fired and faces felony charges, accused of participating in a short-term rental scheme.
City officials say Elisha Collier used her city computer credentials to make phony short-term rental licenses.
The city says she even issued short-term rental permits for addresses in the French Quarter, where short-term rentals are illegal.
"Investigators found that Collier altered names, addresses and other information in the City's permitting system to generate unauthorized licenses, then deleted those entries in an apparent effort to conceal the activity," the city said.
Mayor Helena Moreno's office says it terminated Collier's employment last month, after an investigation that began in May.
"Let me be absolutely clear: We have zero tolerance for fraud, corruption or anyone abusing their position of public trust," said Moreno. "When our department leadership learned of these allegations, they acted immediately. The employee was suspended, the matter was reported to NOPD, and our department launched its own investigation that resulted in her termination."
