LUY-Development

Category: Louisiana News

  • Three Louisiana Men Arrested for Internet Crimes Against Children

    BATON ROUGE, La. – Attorney General Jeff Landry’s Office has arrested three men on child exploitation charges.

    “Child pornography is a dreadful crimes that repeatedly victimizes children,” said General Landry. “So My office and I will continue to do all we can to find and arrest those who possess, distribute, and produce these horrific sexual abuse images and videos.”

    Kerry Abercrombie, 31 of Alexandria, was arrested on 13 counts of possessing pornography involving juveniles under the age of 13, 2 counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile, and 2 counts of computer-aided solicitation of a minor. The arrest was a result of an investigation by the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (LBI), Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), Elgin (IL) Police Department, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office (LPSO), and Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office. This investigation is ongoing and further charges are possible. Abercrombie was booked into the Rapides Parish jail.

    Addison Breaux, 32 of Rayne, was arrested on 10 counts of possessing pornography involving juveniles under the age of 13. The arrest was a result of an investigation by the LBI, HSI, Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office, and LPSO. Breaux was booked into the Acadia Parish jail.

    James Cassidy, 24 of Erath, was arrested on 14 counts of possessing pornography involving juveniles under the age of 13. The arrest was a result of an investigation by the LBI, HSI, Erath Police Department, Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office, LPSO, and Vermillion Parish Sheriff’s Office. Cassidy was booked into the Vermillion Parish jail.

  • Louisiana State Police Insurance Fraud Investigations Result in Several Arrests

    Troopers assigned to the Louisiana State Police Insurance Fraud / Auto Theft Unit brought two separate criminal cases to conclusion over the last week resulting in numerous arrests. The Insurance Fraud Unit is responsible for investigating referrals of suspected fraudulent insurance acts and promoting awareness of insurance fraud throughout the state.
    Orleans Parish- On September 6, 2019, Troopers arrested 49-year-old Dana Monk of New Orleans on one count of Automobile Policy Insurance Fraud following an investigation into a fraudulent automobile insurance claim with Progressive Insurance Company. The investigation revealed Monk reported a claim with Progressive Insurance Company in reference to her vehicle sustaining damage while driving over debris in the roadway in Orleans Parish. At the conclusion of the investigation, several discrepancies were discovered involving Monk’s incident. Monk reported the claim several hours after reinstating her automotive insurance on her vehicle, claiming the damage occurred after she reinstated her policy. A repair order from Toyota of New Orleans revealed Monk damaged the vehicle several hours prior to reinstating her automotive insurance policy. On August 9, 2019, an Arrest Warrant was obtained for Monk from the 41st Judicial District Court in Orleans Parish for violation of LRS 22:1925 Automobile Policy Insurance Fraud. On September 6, 2019, Monk surrendered herself to State Police and was transported to the Orleans Parish Prison where she was booked on one count of Automobile Policy Insurance Fraud.
    Iberville Parish- On September 11, 2019, Troopers arrested 39-year-old Whylithia Robinson and 43-year-old Richard Robinson, both of Plaquemine, following an investigation into the filing of fraudulent medical bills. Troopers’ investigation revealed that both Robinsons’ submitted false and forged injury claims with AFLAC Insurance Company alleging continued short-term disability. Richard Robinson also submitted a false injury claim alleging he sustained injuries in a crash he was involved in on September 13, 2017. Through investigative means, Troopers were able to confirm the crash report Richard Robinson submitted to AFLAC was fraudulent. Whylithia Robinson was booked into the Iberville Parish Prison for violating LRS 22:1924 Insurance Fraud (18 counts), LRS 14:72 Forgery (35 counts), and LRS 14:67 Theft (Felony).
    LSP Investigators work closely with the LA Department of Insurance, local judicial offices, and the Louisiana Attorney General’s office in successfully bringing individuals involved in committing insurance fraud to justice. The Insurance Fraud Unit has field offices located throughout the state in which Troopers investigate various types of insurance fraud cases such as staged crashes, “jump-in” crashes, fraudulent injury claims, worker’s compensation fraud, forged medical records, and inflated property claims.
    The public plays an integral role in identifying suspects accused of these crimes and is strongly urged to report criminal or suspicious activity. For more information and/or to contact the Louisiana State Police Insurance Fraud and Auto Theft Unit visit www.lsp.org/ifu.html.
    The Louisiana State Police on-line reporting system is also available to the public through a convenient and secure reporting form that is submitted to the appropriate investigators. Citizens can access the form by visiting www.lsp.org and clicking the Suspicious Activity link.

  • Family protests dropped charges in crash that killed teen

    OPELOUSAS, La. (AP) — The dismissal of all but one charge against a woman involved in a crash that killed a Louisiana teen has sparked a protest.

    KATC-TV reports the family of 17-year-old Aaron Quebedeaux stood outside the St. Landry Parish courthouse in Opelousas with signs on Tuesday. Brittany Coupel is charged with hit-and-run in the 2017 crash that killed Quebedeaux.

    Authorities initially believed the crash only involved one vehicle. Coupel told state troopers in 2017 that her car collided with the teen’s car.

    St. Landy Parish District Attorney Earl Taylor says State Police could not conclude who crossed the middle line.

    The teen’s mother, Laurie Quebedeaux, said Tuesday that she wants answers and justice for her son.

  • 4 Louisiana men plead guilty in Mississippi bribe scheme

    Four Louisiana men have pleaded guilty to charges connected to allegations that they bribed Mississippi’s former corrections commissioner and tried to bribe a Mississippi sheriff.

    Michael LeBlanc Sr. of Baton Rouge, Michael LeBlanc Jr. of Prairieville, Tawasky Ventroy of Opelousas and Jacque Jones of LaPlace each entered a guilty plea Wednesday to one count of conspiracy.

    All four men say they paid former Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps a $2,000 bribe for help in getting contracts to sell inmates phone service and commissary goods. They also admit to giving Kemper County’s sheriff $2,000 in casino chips in an unsuccessful attempt to bribe him.

    Epps was convicted of taking more than $1.4 million in bribes.

    U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate set Feb. 10 sentencing hearings for the men.

  • Spillway North Of New Orleans Expected To Close In July

    NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Army Corps of Engineers expects to begin closing a spillway north of New Orleans sometime in the second or third week of July.

    The corps began opening the Bonnet Carré Spillway on May 10 to relieve stress on levees protecting New Orleans. It was the first time the spillway’s been opened twice in one year.

    Crews opened 168 of the spillway’s 250 bays over 11 days , using cranes to pull up 20 huge timbers called needles in each bay.

    Spokesman Matt Roe said Thursday that the closing will be gradual and paced to the Mississippi River’s fall, just as the opening was paced to its rise. He says he doesn’t know how long it will take.

    “Each day the hydrologists will look at what the river is doing and match that to have a slow fall,” he said.

    The spillway was opened for 44 days in February, March and April and has now been open for 48 days, breaking the one-year record of 75 days in 1973. The current opening has tied the third-place mark for consecutive days. The spillway was open for 48 days in 1937 and 57 in 1945.

    A corps tweet Wednesday said the closing will begin when the river falls to 15.5 feet (4.7 meters) at the Carrollton gage.

    That’s for safety of workers who must lower the timbers into rushing water, Roe said.

    The amount of water passing through the spillway peaked May 21 and 22 at 161,000 cubic feet (4,560 cubic meters) per second. That’s enough water to fill the U.S. Capitol rotunda in about 8 seconds.

    The spillway’s flow was down to 108,000 cubic feet (3,060 cubic meters) per second Thursday, Roe said.

    The governors of Louisiana and Mississippi say freshwater has replaced brackish water in Lake Pontchartrain and left much of the Mississippi Sound far less salty than usual, killing oysters, hurting fish catches and damaging livelihoods. Both have asked the U.S. Commerce Department to declare a fisheries disaster.

    Scientists say fresh water in the sound may have contributed to a high number of dolphin deaths .

    Entomologists say the lake’s fresh water was also the hatching ground for clouds of mosquito lookalikes that plagued people along the lakefront in New Orleans, Jefferson and St. Tammany parishes.

  • 3 Louisiana Sheriff’s Deputies Accused Of Payroll Fraud

    ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP) — Louisiana State Police say three sheriff’s deputies are accused of getting paid for time they didn’t work during a campaign against drunk driving.

    A news release says troopers arrested Rapides Parish Deputies Matthew Davis, Jonathan Treadway and David Billings on charges of malfeasance, public payroll fraud, and injuring public records.

    Master Trooper Daniel “Scott” Moreau says the sheriff’s office asked state police to investigate discrepancies found during an internal audit of the “Safe and Sober Campaign,” a high-visibility safety campaign held in September.

    Moreau says investigators couldn’t find citations which the deputies said would support their claims.

    He says information about the number of hours and amount of money involved is being sent to Rapides Parish prosecutors.

    The deputies were arrested Thursday. It’s unknown if either has an attorney.

  • Ex-NYPD Officer Indicted On Murder Charge In New Orleans

    NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A former New York City police officer has been indicted on murder charges in Louisiana.

    The New Orleans Advocate reports 29-year-old Gerardo Bugallo-Beret was charged Thursday with second-degree murder in the March shooting death of Tyrone Reese.

    A press release from District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office says Bugallo-Beret shot 29-year-old Reese in front of an apartment building in the Treme neighborhood. Bugallo-Beret says he shot Reese in self-defense after Reese verbally threatened him. Cannizzaro’s office says Reese was unarmed.

    Bugallo-Beret served as an NYPD officer from July 2014 to May 2016. He left the force after being charged with misdemeanor assault following a reported fight with a bouncer in New York City.

    Bugallo-Beret faces a mandatory lifetime prison sentence if found guilty.

  • 7 Hurt When Gunfire Erupts At Louisiana Nightclub

    BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Police continued Sunday to investigate a shooting at a Baton Rouge nightclub that left seven people injured, even as officials in Louisiana’s capital city pledged to do more to fight gun violence after several high-profile shootings.

    At least two people were seriously wounded at the Stadium Ultralounge & Bar, although not all injuries may stem from gunshots, authorities said. No arrests have been made and officials on Saturday urged people who might know something to contact them.

    Macy Bell, 21, of Baton Rouge, was at the club when the shooting broke out. She told The Advocate that the fighting began when someone smashed a bottle over another person’s head. Bell remembers the shooting went on for “about five minutes.” The gunfire continued outside.

    “They were shooting everywhere,” Bell said. “It was a whole war zone.”

    Bell said she ran to the parking lot when the gunshots started and dove under a car, where she found three other women screaming and crying. When the gunshots stopped briefly, she said, she darted to her own car and fled.

    As she ran, two other people rushed past her, saying they had been shot. Videos shared on social media and since removed showed gunfire, shouting and chaos.

    One video appeared to show a man in black shorts hitting another man over the head with a glass bottle. Then a different man in a blue shirt started shooting in the direction of the original attacker.

    Once the shots rang out, bar patrons began yelling, “Go, go, go!” At least four gunshots could be heard on video.

    A third video appeared to show another more gunfire outside as bar patrons scrambled to flee.

    Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome urged residents to contact police with information and said city-parish officials would meet this week “to discuss more ways that we can work to put an end to gun violence, the public health crisis that is devastating our community.”

    Other shootings last week in Baton Rouge included a triple homicide and the unsolved slaying of an 18-year-old man whose body was dumped in a park.

    The woman listed in state records as a registered agent for the nightclub, Debra Williams, hung up when The Advocate contacted her Saturday afternoon.

    A club promoter for the Stadium Ultralounge & Bar also did not respond to a request for comment, but posted a call on Twitter following the shootings to “pray for the victims tonight” and “pray for our city.”

  • Angola Ex-Guard Accused Of Improper Relationship With Inmate

    ANGOLA, La. (AP) — A prison guard at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola has been criminally charged after investigators say they discovered she had an “inappropriate relationship” with an inmate.

    The Louisiana Department of Corrections says 30-year-old Courtneé Anderson of Natchez, Mississippi, was booked Friday on one count of malfeasance in office by West Feliciana Parish sheriff’s deputies.

    Officials say the relationship was uncovered using evidence found on a contraband cellphone seized recently from an inmate.

    Anderson resigned during the course of the investigation and the department says she has admitted to the misconduct.

    Anderson had worked at Angola since the end of January. She was a sergeant.

  • Sheriff: Alexandria Mom Charged In Girl’s Death Tried To Kill Herself

    ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP) — Authorities say a Louisiana woman accused of killing her 5-year-old daughter tried to kill herself and is now on life support.

    Citing a Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office statement, news outlets report Jasmine Victoria Anderson attempted to hang herself late last week and was hospitalized.

    Anderson had been in isolation since her July 23 arrest on a charge of second-degree murder for the death of Audrey Lynn Chelette. Sheriff William Earl Hilton says the hanging attempt happened just two minutes after she was checked on.

    Alexandria police said Anderson brought the dead child to a hospital this month and gave a changing story, sometimes pinning her daughter’s death on a car crash. Police said in a statement that Audrey’s neck injury wasn’t consistent with a crash.