Controversy surrounding JAT Bureau of Services and Management just won’t go away, despite the fact that the Montgomery, Alabama, firm’s million dollar contract with the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections was terminated last month.
Former employees of the firm have not received their final paychecks from the company even though the state made a final payment of $27,693.19 on the company’s contract two weeks ago, according to Jill Boudreaux, undersecretary of Public Safety Services.
JAT’s problems first surfaced in early December when it was learned that security guards employed by the firm either had not been paid or paychecks that were paid bounced. The company was under contract to provide security services to 15 state office buildings and employed 74 guards in Baton Rouge.
JAT employs 200 persons overall and had 2009 revenues of $2 million, according to information provided on its web page. JAT Chairman Arthur Coleman has never returned phone calls made to his offices in Montgomery.
The state, when issuing its request for proposals (RFP) from security companies, apparently did not require that bidders post either a bid bond or performance bond though the RFP did stipulate that bidders carry liability insurance.
Soon after Capitol News Service and Louisiana Voice ran the story about the bounced paychecks, JAT posted a one-page memorandum threatening to fire any employee who complained about not receiving a paycheck or about a bounced check.
Boudreaux, in an email to Louisiana Voice, said the final payment of $27,693.19 was made to JAT on Feb. 9.
Boudreaux was initially asked what recourse is available to the state to requirement payment to JAT’s former employees. She referred that question to either State Purchasing or the Attorney General’s office.
One source said the Attorney General’s office was looking into the matter and had been in touch with the Division of Administration in efforts to obtain payments for the former JAT employees.
Louisiana Voice 
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