06.04.2017 Views

Political Illusions of the Cajun Mafia

This book examines “robust” political corruption in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. The book scrutinizes the transparency, schemes and co-conspirators involved in political corruption. It discusses how top elected officials use their power and public resources funded by local sales and property taxes to improperly target, retaliate and even maliciously prosecute the most ridiculous matters to further their personal agenda. The book examines in detail the types of public infringements involving corruption as well as the vast network of political connections to other various public schemes. The book is further evidence that political corruption in Louisiana is not only profound but more like organized crime controlled by mob bosses. Louisiana no longer will turn a “blind eye” and now demands zero tolerance for corruption and nepotism of elected officials.

This book examines “robust” political corruption in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. The book scrutinizes the transparency, schemes and co-conspirators involved in political corruption. It discusses how top elected officials use their power and public resources funded by local sales and property taxes to improperly target, retaliate and even maliciously prosecute the most ridiculous matters to further their personal agenda.

The book examines in detail the types of public infringements involving corruption as well as the vast network of political connections to other various public schemes. The book is further evidence that political corruption in Louisiana is not only profound but more like organized crime controlled by mob bosses.

Louisiana no longer will turn a “blind eye” and now demands zero tolerance for corruption and nepotism of elected officials.

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

US SeNdiNg<br />

wArShip<br />

Iranian vessels<br />

may be confronted<br />

<strong>of</strong>f Yemen waters.<br />

A5<br />

pLAy<strong>of</strong>f wiN<br />

for ShhS<br />

Lady Broncos claim<br />

5-0 shutout win over<br />

Parkway in Round 1.<br />

C1<br />

No. 1 LSU vS.<br />

No. 2 AggieS<br />

Nation’s top-ranked<br />

teams clash this week<br />

at Alex Box Stadium.<br />

C1<br />

americanpress.com<br />

By Johnathan Manning<br />

jmanning@americanpress.com<br />

A Sulphur man who threw<br />

a 13-month-old boy against<br />

a wall in September 2013<br />

pleaded guilty to manslaughter<br />

Monday in state district<br />

court.<br />

Judge David Ritchie sentenced<br />

Trent Alan Dubroc, 25,<br />

to <strong>the</strong> maximum 40-year prison<br />

sentence allowed under a<br />

manslaughter conviction, giving<br />

him credit for time served.<br />

Dubroc entered an Alford plea,<br />

under which a defendant does<br />

not admit guilt, but concedes<br />

<strong>the</strong>re is enough evidence for a<br />

guilty conviction.<br />

After <strong>the</strong> baby, Landon<br />

Carpenter, was thrown<br />

against a wall, he showed<br />

signs that something was<br />

wrong, seizing and vomiting,<br />

rough night<br />

Tuesday, April 21, 2015<br />

HHH No. 43,932 Lake Charles, Louisiana 50 Cents<br />

Sulphur man gets 40 years<br />

Dubroc, 25, accused <strong>of</strong> causing baby’s death by throwing it against wall<br />

and was brought<br />

to <strong>the</strong> hospital<br />

more than once,<br />

prosecutor Lori<br />

Nunn said in<br />

her statement <strong>of</strong><br />

facts. Dubroc did<br />

not immediately dubroc<br />

admit to what<br />

he had done, though, and <strong>the</strong><br />

child died within days <strong>of</strong> head<br />

trauma.<br />

Dubroc eventually told authorities<br />

he became frustrated<br />

<strong>the</strong> infant would not stop crying,<br />

went into <strong>the</strong> room, took<br />

Carpenter out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> crib and<br />

threw him against <strong>the</strong> wall,<br />

Nunn said. In October 2013,<br />

Dubroc changed his story in a<br />

letter written to <strong>the</strong> Calcasieu<br />

Parish District Attorney’s<br />

Office, Nunn said. In <strong>the</strong> letter,<br />

Dubroc claimed that his<br />

Doris Maricle / American Press<br />

Strong winds from a severe thunderstorm late Sunday toppled a large oak tree on <strong>the</strong> garage storage and attic area<br />

<strong>of</strong> Janne and Charles Burrell’s home at 802 N. Cutting Ave. in Jennings. Large tree branches were reported down and<br />

power was out in several parts <strong>of</strong> Southwest Louisiana as a result <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> late night storm. For story see page A6.<br />

A former candidate for<br />

District Attorney in Calcasieu<br />

Parish is one <strong>of</strong> several members<br />

<strong>of</strong> his family accused<br />

<strong>of</strong> taking part in a “diploma<br />

mill” in <strong>the</strong> Houston area,<br />

Texas Attorney General Ken<br />

Paxton announced in a news<br />

release Monday.<br />

Christian Chesson, who<br />

ran for district attorney in<br />

November, said that he has no<br />

involvement with <strong>the</strong> school.<br />

Paxton alleges that<br />

Parkview Baptist Home School<br />

is “unlawfully marketing and<br />

selling fraudulent high school<br />

diplomas and transcripts.”<br />

Paxton’s <strong>of</strong>fice filed a<br />

lawsuit Monday claiming that<br />

<strong>the</strong> school violated <strong>the</strong> Texas<br />

Deceptive Trade Practices Act<br />

and <strong>the</strong> Texas Assumed Business<br />

or Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Name<br />

Act.<br />

Paxton is asking for a<br />

temporary restraining order, a<br />

hearing on which will be held<br />

in Houston on Wednesday.<br />

In addition to Christian<br />

Chesson and Parkview Home<br />

School, his fa<strong>the</strong>r, Lilton Chesson<br />

Jr., is a defendant, as are<br />

his sisters, Tara Rose Castellanos<br />

and Mindy Kay Ring,<br />

Chesson Family Partnership<br />

and Legal Properties LLC.<br />

Christian Chesson said he<br />

has never heard <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Chesson<br />

Family Partnership and<br />

repeated several times that<br />

he has no affiliation with <strong>the</strong><br />

school.<br />

Chesson said he may have<br />

helped with <strong>the</strong> articles <strong>of</strong><br />

incorporation years ago, but<br />

would not have signed anything<br />

since he is not licensed<br />

to practice law in Texas. He<br />

said his name may be listed<br />

somewhere in <strong>the</strong> school’s<br />

5-year-old son, who was also in Several people wept<br />

<strong>the</strong> home, startled him, causing<br />

him to drop <strong>the</strong> boy.<br />

“The family was pleased<br />

throughout <strong>the</strong> hearing.<br />

“Forty years is a good, with this, we wouldn’t have<br />

long sentence for (Dubroc),” taken this plea if <strong>the</strong>y had<br />

Nunn said. “(It’s) fair, based on not been on board with this,”<br />

his age. It gives us certainty, Nunn said. “This has been<br />

it gives <strong>the</strong> victim’s family very difficult for <strong>the</strong>m. They’re<br />

closure and spares <strong>the</strong>m from happy with <strong>the</strong> 40 years and<br />

going through <strong>the</strong> trial. Those that’s one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> main reasons<br />

were great considerations for that we took it.”<br />

us.<br />

See BABy, A6<br />

Common Core<br />

bill shot down<br />

By John guidroz<br />

jguidroz@americanpress.com<br />

BATON ROUGE — House<br />

lawmakers rejected an attempt<br />

here Monday to bypass <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

education committee and<br />

move an anti-Common Core<br />

bill to <strong>the</strong> House floor. The bill<br />

by Rep. Brett Geymann, R-<br />

Moss Bluff, got only 37 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

53 votes it needed.<br />

Geymann told <strong>the</strong> House<br />

his move was an effort to<br />

provide full debate on <strong>the</strong><br />

issue, something that hasn’t<br />

been done. Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 61 opponents<br />

argued that doing so<br />

would disrupt <strong>the</strong> legislative<br />

process.<br />

House Bill 373 would allow<br />

legislative approval <strong>of</strong><br />

standards for elementary and<br />

middle schools and have <strong>the</strong>m<br />

implemented by <strong>the</strong> 2017-18<br />

school year. It is still set to be<br />

heard by <strong>the</strong> education committee.<br />

Geymann, an outspoken<br />

critic <strong>of</strong> Common Core, said<br />

he wanted <strong>the</strong> bill heard on<br />

<strong>the</strong> House floor after parents<br />

and o<strong>the</strong>rs opposed to Common<br />

Core were “mocked and<br />

ridiculed” by <strong>the</strong> pro-Common<br />

Core political action com-<br />

documents, but that he has<br />

no stock in <strong>the</strong> company, has<br />

never made money <strong>of</strong>f <strong>of</strong> it<br />

and is not <strong>the</strong> school’s legal<br />

counsel.<br />

“I have no idea about <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

business,” he said.<br />

The only knowledge he has<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> company is through<br />

discussions with his family, he<br />

said.<br />

“It always seems to be a<br />

constant struggle with <strong>the</strong>m,”<br />

Chesson said. “There’s always<br />

just issues, but <strong>the</strong>y’re just<br />

home schooling. I don’t know<br />

Geymann said he<br />

wanted <strong>the</strong> bill heard<br />

on <strong>the</strong> House floor<br />

after parents and<br />

o<strong>the</strong>rs opposed<br />

to Common Core<br />

were ‘mocked<br />

and ridiculed.’<br />

mittee, Alliance for Better<br />

Classrooms. The PAC said that<br />

criticism <strong>of</strong> Common Core<br />

was comparable to unicorns,<br />

because it isn’t real. Last<br />

week, pink and white stuffed<br />

unicorns were handed out at<br />

<strong>the</strong> desks <strong>of</strong> House lawmakers<br />

on <strong>the</strong> floor, an act Geymann<br />

called “distasteful.”<br />

Geymann said Rep. Stephen<br />

Carter, who chairs <strong>the</strong> education<br />

committee, was included<br />

on a list <strong>of</strong> sponsors for <strong>the</strong><br />

PAC on its website, but Carter<br />

told him he was unaware <strong>of</strong><br />

that. Carter, R-Baton Rouge, is<br />

no longer listed on <strong>the</strong> website,<br />

but Geymann said that<br />

See Core, A3<br />

Former Calcasieu DA candidate accused in ‘diploma mill’ scheme<br />

By Johnathan Manning<br />

jmanning@americanpress.com<br />

‘I have no idea about<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir business.’<br />

Christian Chesson<br />

Former Calcasieu candidate<br />

says he has no affiliation with<br />

school in question<br />

why <strong>the</strong>y give <strong>the</strong>m such<br />

trouble.”<br />

The Houston school would<br />

send students two workbooks<br />

and answer keys, Paxton’s<br />

<strong>of</strong>fice said. When completed,<br />

students would be given a<br />

diploma and transcript “in as<br />

little as two days.” Students<br />

find, though, that <strong>the</strong> degrees<br />

are not accepted by colleges,<br />

military or employers, <strong>the</strong><br />

news release alleges.<br />

“Parkview Home School<br />

See dipLoMA, A3<br />

iNSide<br />

Business ...................B1-B6<br />

Classified .................D1–D3<br />

Comics ...................D4–D5<br />

Crossword ....................D4<br />

Dear Abby ....................C4<br />

Deaths .......................A2<br />

Entertainment ................C5<br />

Life ...........................C4<br />

Local/State ........... A3, A6, C6<br />

Nation/World .............A5, D6<br />

Opinion ......................A4<br />

Our Past ......................C4<br />

Sports ....................C1–C3<br />

Television .....................C5<br />

OUTSIDE<br />

78°<br />

details — d6<br />

CONNECT<br />

WITH US<br />

ONLINE<br />

McNeese State<br />

University<br />

Summer & Fall<br />

Priority Registration<br />

For Juniors<br />

BEGINS Today At 3 p.m.<br />

View Class Schedules At<br />

www.mcneese.edu/schedule<br />

Call 337-475-5356 For More Information<br />

CRAWFISH SPECIAL<br />

Tuesday & Wednesday<br />

All You Can Eat $24.95<br />

or $2.99/lb.<br />

NEPTUNE’S<br />

CRAWFISH<br />

Main Street Elton, LA 584-3264<br />

HOT TO TROT<br />

Boil N’ Go<br />

Mon.-Sun.<br />

4:30-9PM<br />

117 W College (Next To Darrell’s)<br />

478-5407<br />

LC man arrested after fatal shooting<br />

By Johnathan Manning<br />

jmanning@americanpress.com<br />

A Lake Charles man was arrested<br />

following a homicide at Greinwich<br />

Terrace Park Sunday evening, authorities<br />

said.<br />

Bennie Lee Ledet Jr., 54, was shot<br />

at <strong>the</strong> park, located at 3151 Admiral<br />

Nimitz St., Lake Charles Police Department<br />

Deputy Chief Mark Kraus<br />

said in a news release.<br />

Rufus Duhon III, 44, 2904 General<br />

Doolittle Ave., was arrested for possession<br />

<strong>of</strong> a firearm by a convicted<br />

felon in connection with <strong>the</strong> shooting,<br />

Kraus said.<br />

The shooting happened<br />

at Greinwich Terrace Park<br />

during <strong>the</strong> course <strong>of</strong> an<br />

argument between two<br />

men, according to Lake<br />

Charles Police.<br />

Judge Guy Bradberry set bond at<br />

$500,000.<br />

The shooting happened during an<br />

argument, Kraus said in an interview.<br />

Although Kraus said Duhon is<br />

considered a suspect, he has not been<br />

charged with homicide.<br />

“Before we arrest someone with<br />

murder we want to make sure that<br />

charge is applicable, we don’t want to<br />

use that charge in a reckless manner,”<br />

Kraus said.<br />

Kraus said he could not say what<br />

type <strong>of</strong> gun was used or how many<br />

times Ledet was shot. He also declined<br />

to elaborate on how <strong>the</strong> two<br />

men knew each o<strong>the</strong>r.<br />

Heading east past La. 14, East<br />

Prien Lake Road turns into Admiral<br />

See ShooTiNg, A6<br />

Page 34 <strong>of</strong> 410

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!