LA LA - Albert Bloch, 61, Metairie, 26 Sept 2007

[OkieGranny]

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2014/07/post_379.html

A former Jefferson Parish Sheriff's deputy, who is both a convict and a key witness in a federal case, endured a harrowing moment in the St. Charles Parish jail Wednesday morning as he was waiting for U.S. Marshals to take him to testify against his friend and fellow former officer, Mark Hebert.

Ray Grow III would take the stand and recall how Hebert, who is being sentenced for defrauding a Metairie man who disappeared without a trace in 2007, was prone to fits of rage and was capable to prodigious feats of strength...

Hebert's sentencing hearing will continue into a fourth day on Thursday, as Milazzo will weigh the testimony and decide whether a highly circumstantial case against the former deputy proves that Bloch is dead and that Hebert played a role.

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.theneworleansadvocate.com/news/9810519-171/former-jeff-deputy-plotted-perfect

Milazzo said she would rule Tuesday on whether Hebert caused Bloch’s death, which could mean a life prison sentence, or whether she will hand him a sentence only for the seven counts to which he pleaded guilty in November related to the fraudulent charges on Bloch’s account.

That still could mean a long stretch behind bars for Hebert, whom his ex-wife described as a hot-headed obsessive who turned from bodybuilding to racing cars. Prosecutors claimed the thefts were propelled by Hebert’s need for speed on the track.

As part of his guilty plea, Hebert admitted that he charged items on Bloch’s bank card before and after Bloch went missing at age 61. A new racing engine, high-priced cylinder heads, a pair of expensive GPS devices, a stove and grill set — all were bought by Hebert using Bloch’s card.

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2014/07/judge_jpso_deputy_killed_metai.html

A federal judge has found that a former Jefferson Parish Sheriff's deputy murdered a Metairie man who has been missing since 2007.

U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo on Tuesday ruled that prosecutors had shown clear and convincing evidence that Mark Hebert killed 61-year-old Albert Bloch in the fall of 2007...

Hebert, who has pleaded guilty to charges that he used Bloch's debit card and checkbook to raid Bloch's bank accounts, will be sentenced in September, Milazzo said.

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2014/07/judge_says_jefferson_parish_de.html

"Exactly how (Hebert) murdered Mr. Bloch, we may never know," U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo said. "There is no body and there is no crime scene, but there are certain scenarios that make sense." Milazzo said that "in assessing all the evidence I cannot find a doubt to which I can assign reason."

This is, admittedly, a bizarre case. Hebert wasn't ever charged with murder. He was charged with defrauding Bloch of thousands of dollars by illegally using the man's debit card and checkbook, and he pleaded guilty to that. But for sentencing, prosecutors wanted the judge to find Hebert guilty of the murder of Bloch, and the judge did just that. She will now take that crime into consideration when she sentences him for the fraud.

As Milazzo says, there is no body, and we don't know the scene of the crime. So, in one sense, Bloch's murder seems less real, and therefore less disturbing, than other more well-known killings by local law enforcement officers.

 

[KateB]

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2014/07/judge_jpso_deputy_killed_metai.html
The journalist that wrote this article continues in comments and answers reader questions on the judge's ruling. Interesting read.

I don't see any updates for the Sept 18th sentencing either, so I'm guessing it was delayed.

Albert has been missing for 7 years today.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

In November of last year, Mark Hebert was sentenced to 92 years. Hebert is contesting the sentence.

"Ex-JPSO deputy gets 92 years in Metairie man's disappearance"

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2014/11/ex-jpso_deputy_gets_92_years_i.html

Former Jefferson Parish Sheriff's deputy Mark Hebert was sentenced to 92 years in prison for stealing thousands of dollars from a 61-year-old man whose wallet he stole from the scene of a 2007 car accident.

At Hebert's sentencing hearing Monday, U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo said there was no doubt in her mind that Hebert killed Bloch and somehow disposed of his body in October 2007.

"For reasons I will never understand (the theft of money) was not enough for you," she said as Hebert slumped in his chair. "You wanted everything that belonged to Albert Bloch, even his life."

"Former JPSO deputy challenges 92-year prison sentence"

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2015/07/jpso_deputy_hebert_bloch_murde.html

Hebert last week filed an appeal of the sentence U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo handed him last year, arguing that he is essentially serving time for a crime for which he has never been charged. His appeal claims the judge misapplied federal sentencing guidelines, and that his nine-decade prison term is excessively long.

"Mr. Hebert pleaded guilty to violating three federal statutes — misdemeanor civil rights, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft — but was sentenced based on a different crime — murder," wrote Hebert's court-appointed attorney, Assistant Federal Defender Jordan Siverd.

"The consequences were devastating: a 92-year sentence driven by a sentencing factor outside the facts of his conviction. Permitting the criminal justice process to function in this way blows a gaping loophole in the Bill of Rights, allowing an end-run around its critical protections for the accused in criminal cases."

 

[Pennysmom1]

Albert Bloch – The Charley Project

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• 
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Bloch, circa 2007; Mark Hebert

• Missing Since 09/26/2007
• Missing From Metairie, Louisiana
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Male
• Race White
• Date of Birth 06/30/1946 (77)
• Age 61 years old
• Height and Weight 5'11, 160 pounds
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• Clothing/Jewelry Description A plaid buttoned shirt and gray pants.
• 
  
• Medical Conditions Bloch is an alcoholic. He also has a respiratory condition requiring daily medication.
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• Associated Vehicle(s) Silver 1995 Volvo 850 with the Louisiana license plate number NTJ 453 (accounted for)
• 
  
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Gray hair, brown eyes.

Details of Disappearance​

Bloch was last seen in the 2200 block of Houma Boulevard in Metairie, Louisiana at 9:45 p.m. on September 26, 2007. He has never been heard from again. He was reported missing on November 2 by a case worker at Responsibility House, a housing program for people who have mental illness issues or substance abuse problems. He had been estranged from his family for years.

Bloch was driving a silver 1995 Volvo 850 with the Louisiana license plate number NTJ 453 at the time of his disappearance. The car was later found parked behind an apartment complex in Metairie.

In December 2007, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office arrested one of their own former officers, Mark Hebert, and charged him with burglarizing the vehicle of a man he had arrested for drunk driving.

A photograph of Hebert is posted with this case summary. He was fired from the sheriff's office on November 24, about a week before his arrest. He allegedly stole the person's wallet and used his credit card to buy $4,000 worth of items from a Home Depot store. Authorities believe Hebert was involved in other vehicle burglaries as well.

Bloch was in a car wreck on August 2, 2007 and hospitalized for minor injuries. Hebert responded at the scene of the accident. While Bloch was in the hospital, someone used his credit card to purchase a GPS device. The GPS system, as well as Bloch's driver's license, credit card and some of his blank checks, were found when sheriff's officials searched Hebert's home and vehicle after his arrest.

In April 2013, Hebert was charged with federal civil rights violations and 59 counts of crimes including bank fraud, obstruction of justice, aggravated identity theft and computer fraud. The indictment alleged Hebert stole Bloch's ATM card, checks, identification and other documents to get his personal information, then stole money from Bloch's bank accounts while Bloch was still in the hospital, then killed him to keep him from reporting the thefts. He hasn't actually been charged with Bloch's murder, however, and he maintains his innocence in Bloch's disappearance.

Hebert pleaded guilty to seven total felony counts, including bank fraud, identity theft and civil rights violations, in November 2013, after reaching a deal with prosecutors. In November 2014, he was sentenced to 92 years in prison. At sentencing, the judge stated she believed Hebert was responsible for Bloch's death.

Bloch left behind a substantial bank account, all his furniture, and his vehicle, and since his disappearance he hasn't cashed any of his benefits checks or refilled his prescriptions. Foul play is suspected in his case due to the circumstances involved.

Investigating Agency​

• Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office 504-364-5300

Source Information​

• Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office
• The Times-Picayune

Updated 4 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated January 27, 2017; medical conditions added, details of disappearance updated.