The trial begins for the McCormick brothers, who are accused of defrauding the state of more than $800,000

WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH, La. (WAFB) – Opening statements began in the trial of twin brothers Thomas and Robert McCormick, who are accused of defrauding the state of more than $846,140 during the 2020 hurricane season.

At the time, Robert McCormick was working for the State Fire Marshal's Office (OSFM). Prosecutors say the two used their positions to steal money and cover it up as part of a sophisticated money laundering scheme. District Attorney Tony Clayton said he believes the prosecution got off to a good start on the first day of the trial.

“When the auditors examined the firefighter, they saw $800,000 to $900,000. You wonder, where in the world is this going and why is this going from one brother to another to a makeshift company over in West Baton Rouge, and it just seemed like something wasn't right,” Clayton said.

The brothers' defense team claimed the state failed to conduct a proper investigation and that the Louisiana auditor who uncovered the alleged scheme made a mistake. Her defense attorney declined an on-camera interview with WAFB.

The state said the brothers took advantage of taxpayers during the state of emergency as Louisiana grappled with back-to-back hurricanes and weather emergencies. For example, prosecutors alleged that Robert used his job at OSFM to bill the state for items related to recovery and then funneled that money into the brothers' own companies.

“I firmly believe that this case is an avalanche of evidence. You've only heard the tip of the iceberg. Stay tuned tomorrow, you’ll hear more,” Clayton told WAFB.

The defense said Robert was just doing his job and there was no criminal intent. Thomas McCormick's defense attorney called the prosecution's case a “fantastic journey of creative writing” and pointed to the 175-page brief the state filed in the case, which lists 425 charges against the brothers.

The trial continues on November 13th at 9 a.m. You will continue to hear testimony from Tom Horn, who works for the auditor of the Louisiana Legislature and was investigating this matter when they first received a complaint.

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