The two women admitted in federal court Thursday they used political offices and nonprofit groups they controlled to enrich themselves over a seven-year period.

A deal Jefferson and Coleman worked out with federal prosecutors allows Jefferson, a 70-year-old New Orleans assessor, and her 53-year-old daughter to avoid a trial slated to begin in March.

In a separate case, William Jefferson is out on bond appealing a 13-year federal prison sentence for using his influence as a United States congressman to broker business deals in Africa.

Mose Jefferson, another sibling of Betty Jefferson, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in January for giving kickkbacks to former school board member Ellenese Brooks-Simms in exchange for her support for a computer-based teaching system he sold.

He was also fined $975,000 and ordered to repay $913,000 to the Orleans Parish School Board.

This article was originally published in the March 1, 2010 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper