NU Online News Service, July 17, 3:24 p.m.EDT

A former deputy insurance commissioner in Louisiana has pleadedguilty to two bribery schemes—one with an insurance agent andanother with a venture capitalist affiliated with the insuranceagent.

Unknown to Richard L. Chambers Sr. was the fact that the agentand venture capitalist were undercover special agents with theFederal Bureau of Investigation, says U.S. Attorney General DonaldJ. Cazayoux Jr. in Baton Rouge, La.

Cazayoux says Chambers has pleaded guilty to using an interstatefacility in aid of racketeering, as well as forfeiture.

Chambers, 67, has admitted to using his position to steerbusiness from municipalities to an undercover FBI agent posing asinsurance agent in exchange for 40 percent of the commissionsearned on the business. This scheme netted Chambers $5,500.

The second scheme involved Chamber providing a letter of supportto what he thought was a venture capitalist for the "Cifer 5000"—afictitious automated waste container cleaning system thought up bythe FBI, says Cazayoux. In exchange for the letter, Chambersreceived two payments totaling $5,000.

Both schemes took place in 2009.

The conviction is the result of "Operation Blighted Officials,"which has also led to the guilty pleas or jury convictions of fourformer Louisiana mayors, a chief of police, and a city councilmember.

Chambers will be sentenced in November. He faces up to fiveyears in prison, a $250,000 fine, and forfeiture of all proceedsfrom the bribes.