Update: The WBRZ Investigative Unit has learned a complaint will be filed with the State Ethics Board concerning whether parish officials profited from the land deal.

ST. FRANCISVILLE - Controversy is brewing among West Feliciana Parish officials as accusations of corruption are hurled at Parish President Kenny Havard and Port Commission President Andrew Grezaffi. 

Certain members of the West Feliciana Port Commission say Havard and the West Feliciana Parish Council want them gone so they can have more power over business dealings. It all stems from what they say happened to get a $12 billion data center built in St. Francisville. 

In a parish council meeting Oct. 9, 2023, Havard teased at a big financial opportunity coming to the area. 

"We have sold some of the property going into the paper mill," he said to councilmembers. "I'm told I can give these numbers out: greater than $100 million, less than $200. More than 30 permanent jobs, less than 100. No smokestacks - none of that kind of stuff. It's going to be a pretty green deal for us."

On Oct. 23, 2023, the parish sold 107 acres of property that was deemed surplus near the old paper mill to M/V Industrial LLC. The bill of sale says the industrial property sold for $500,000 in total, which breaks down to $4,672 per acre. State business filings say M/V Industrial is headed by Morgan Vosburg from Lafayette, but also has connections to Cedar Management Company LLC, which is registered to Andrew Grezaffi — the president of the West Feliciana Parish Port Commission. 

On Feb. 27, 2025, M/V Industrial finalized the sale of multiple nearby properties and paid millions of dollars for them. The same day, M/V turned around and sold those properties to Hut 8 — the tech company coming to build the data center. 

The bill of sale between M/V and Hut 8 does not list a price. It says that the sale "is made and accepted for adequate and sufficient consideration, recitation of which is omitted at the request of the purchaser and seller."

The remaining members of the port commission say rumors are circulating around the small town that the land the parish sold for less than $5,000 per acre was much more expensive when it was sold to Hut 8.

"The numbers that are rumbling around, and I don't want to be quoted on this, the 107 acres could have been sold for upwards of $12 million. M/V Industries bought it for $500,000. If that's the case, and it will probably take a subpoena to flesh that out, if that's the case then West Feliciana Parish has been defrauded of $11.5 million by the parish president and his allies. That's not acceptable," David Jewell said. 

WBRZ asked Hut 8 the price of the land. The company said "the financials are confidential."

Port commission members said allegations came out at the Sept. 30, 2024 West Feliciana Port Commission meeting. They say that Grezaffi denied being in the LLC that flipped the property to Hut 8. 

On Thursday, Havard told the WBRZ Investigative Unit that Grezaffi was in the LLC but he was not associated with the group when the land deal happened. 

"He is now, yes, but he wasn't when they bought the property and all. And he had already checked with ethics and everything," Havard said in a phone call. 

We asked Grezaffi for a time to discuss allegations being brought forward by the commission. In an email, he said "I am not aware of any allegations. Thank you for your concern."

A few months before the parish land sale, the port commission voted to dissolve itself but continued to exist since only state legislation can eliminate it. The commission was created in 2005 to regulate business along the river and the land nearby.

On March 20, the Port Commission met for the fourth time since September without a quorum. Commission members who showed up to the meeting say they are in a holding pattern, waiting for a bill authored by State Rep. Jeremy LaCombe that would abolish the Port Commission to go through the legislative processes. 

Commission Secretary Lauren Field says that move would leave all of the port commission's responsibilities and power to the West Feliciana Parish Council. 

"If we don't have a Port Commission, there's not checks and balances in our parish government. There's no oversight. It is just what the parish president and parish council does," Field said. 

Havard says that doing away with the commission is for the best.

"I do support abolishing the port commission. They were created by statute in 2005. For the last 20 years, they have accomplished nothing. They have no funding and/or own no property, office or insurance for its members etc… When I was in the legislature the port commission requested that we change their meeting requirements from once a month to once a year. They have no projects etc… The port commission adopted a resolution August 2023 to dissolve themselves. I do however support their decision," he said in a text message. 

The WBRZ Investigative Unit has pending records requests with the parish president's office. The regular legislative session begins on April 14.