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.

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fIght<br />

Obama, Republicans<br />

battle over possible<br />

Internet regulation.<br />

D4<br />

aDvance<br />

Barbe volleyball team<br />

earns spot in state<br />

tournament in Kenner.<br />

c1<br />

pLay<strong>of</strong>f hopes<br />

Cowboys still aiming<br />

for postseason despite<br />

two conference losses.<br />

c1<br />

americanpress.com<br />

For Jim Oakley, courage lies on <strong>the</strong><br />

mean between self-confidence and fear.<br />

A decorated first lieutenant in <strong>the</strong><br />

United States Air Corps during World<br />

War II, Oakley flew 25 missions as a<br />

bomber pilot<br />

with <strong>the</strong> 8th<br />

Air Force<br />

between 1943<br />

and 1945,<br />

outwitting<br />

tuesday, november 11, 2014<br />

HHH No. 43,771 Lake Charles, Louisiana 50 Cents<br />

salute to veterans<br />

Smoke shop in<br />

Jennings raided;<br />

four arrested<br />

By Doris Maricle<br />

dmaricle@americanpress.com<br />

JENNINGS — The manger <strong>of</strong> a local novelty<br />

smoke shop and three o<strong>the</strong>r people were arrested<br />

Monday on drug related charges following a<br />

raid at <strong>the</strong> business and several homes.<br />

Matt Brucchaus, manager <strong>of</strong> Blaze Smoke<br />

Shop at 542 N. Main Street, and Tyler Mitchell,<br />

were arrested for distribution <strong>of</strong> marijuana.<br />

Brucchaus was also charged with operating a<br />

disorderly business.<br />

Also arrested were Kelsey Chapman, 19, for<br />

possession <strong>of</strong> syn<strong>the</strong>tic marijuana and possession<br />

<strong>of</strong> a firearm and Cade Broussard for<br />

distribution <strong>of</strong> marijuana and possession with<br />

intent to distribute marijuana and drug paraphernalia.<br />

A juvenile was also taken into custody, but no<br />

chargers have been filed at this time.<br />

More arrests are pending fur<strong>the</strong>r investigation,<br />

according to Police Chief Todd D’Albor.<br />

The investigation is suspected to be connected<br />

to similar raids conducted in Lake Charles in<br />

May.<br />

During Monday’s raids, authorities seized<br />

marijuana and o<strong>the</strong>r items used for smoking<br />

marijuana.<br />

Authorities launched an investigation into<br />

<strong>the</strong> business shortly after <strong>the</strong> shop opened on<br />

Nov. 1, D’Albor said.<br />

“A short time after it opened, within hours, I<br />

had personally received calls from citizens who<br />

were concerned this business was in <strong>the</strong> market<br />

<strong>of</strong> catering to people with addictions,” D’Albor<br />

said. “After visiting this business personally, I<br />

had my own concerns.”<br />

See JennIngs, A3<br />

Plans made to<br />

repair DAV facility<br />

in Lake Charles<br />

By Lance traweek<br />

ltraweek@americanpress.com<br />

The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff ’s Office has<br />

partnered with a local non-pr<strong>of</strong>it to initiate repairs<br />

on <strong>the</strong> local Disabled American Veterans<br />

facility in Lake Charles.<br />

Dave Sensat, DAV past chapter commander,<br />

said <strong>the</strong> 60-year-old building — located at 5516<br />

U.S. 90 East — has a caved-in ro<strong>of</strong>, slanted walls<br />

and mildewed carpet because <strong>of</strong> years <strong>of</strong> leaked<br />

rain. He said <strong>the</strong> conditions create an unsafe<br />

environment for veterans utilizing <strong>the</strong> former<br />

church building.<br />

Rebuilding Toge<strong>the</strong>r Calcasieu and CPSO<br />

will spearhead <strong>the</strong> project, donating time and<br />

labor to ei<strong>the</strong>r fix <strong>the</strong> building or construct a<br />

new facility.<br />

Sensat said <strong>the</strong> organization is trying to get<br />

enough funds to begin construction.<br />

“We just need to get some funds from different<br />

people in <strong>the</strong> area,” Sensat said. “Depending<br />

on what we get determines what we can do with<br />

See Dav, A2<br />

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Special to <strong>the</strong> American Press<br />

Twenty-year-old Jim Oakley is shown<br />

aboard a B-17 bomber he named<br />

“Moonbeam McSwine” after <strong>the</strong> Li’l<br />

Abner character.<br />

Lc man flew<br />

25 missions as<br />

bomber pilot<br />

By frank Dicesare<br />

fdicesare@americanpress.com<br />

More onLIne<br />

See video on this story<br />

americanpress.com<br />

German fighters on every flight with a<br />

combination <strong>of</strong> skill, resolve and a lot <strong>of</strong><br />

luck.<br />

“When you’re a veteran in combat,<br />

you know what’s going to happen but you<br />

never know if it’s going to be <strong>the</strong> same,”<br />

Oakley said from his home in Lake<br />

Charles. “I was just young, confident and<br />

ignorant. It was an adventure, but it was<br />

deadly.”<br />

The son <strong>of</strong> a World War I veteran,<br />

Oakley volunteered for military service<br />

a week after <strong>the</strong> Japanese attacked Pearl<br />

Harbor in December 1941.<br />

But <strong>the</strong> harrowing stories <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

trench warfare that marked World War I<br />

compelled him to join <strong>the</strong> Air Force. If he<br />

was going to face death, he said, he was<br />

going do it at 25,000 feet above sea level,<br />

not in a trench.<br />

“You went up <strong>the</strong>re and faced death,<br />

but you came home to a clean bed, an<br />

<strong>of</strong>ficer’s club and <strong>the</strong>n you went out <strong>the</strong><br />

next day,” Oakley said. “You didn’t stay<br />

in a trench. They couldn’t catch me in an<br />

airplane.”<br />

Oakley spent his first year <strong>of</strong> service<br />

in cadet school, a journey that brought<br />

By Lauren Manary<br />

lmanary@americanpress.com<br />

See pILot, A5<br />

Leesville resident T.L. “Sonny”<br />

Berry, 82, is a veteran, an advocate<br />

whose relationships brought quality<br />

<strong>of</strong> life improvements to Fort Polk<br />

and a hometown hero.<br />

His two years in <strong>the</strong> Army with<br />

<strong>the</strong> 25th infantry division, 89th tank<br />

battalion were exceptional, earning<br />

him a Bronze Star for his valor during<br />

<strong>the</strong> Korean War in 1952. Berry<br />

disregarded his own safety and<br />

southwest Louisiana War veterans home<br />

Doris Maricle / American Press<br />

Bobby Hill and Lee Perkins <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Marine Corps League <strong>of</strong> Lake Charles use a sword to slice<br />

<strong>the</strong> cake Monday during a special cake cutting ceremony in honor <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 239th birthday <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> United State Marines. The ceremony was held in conjunction with <strong>the</strong> Veterans Day celebration<br />

at <strong>the</strong> Southwest Louisiana War Veterans Home in Jennings.<br />

LC home to 109-year-old<br />

veteran <strong>of</strong> World War II<br />

By Lauren Manary<br />

lmanary@americanpress.com<br />

Frank Levingston does<br />

not regret <strong>the</strong> time he served<br />

overseas for <strong>the</strong> United States<br />

Army. He said he is proud<br />

<strong>of</strong> his service in spite <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

cultural and historical climate<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> day, which barred<br />

him from fighting alongside<br />

any o<strong>the</strong>r service members<br />

besides o<strong>the</strong>r African-Americans.<br />

The Lake Charles veteran<br />

will turn 109 this Thursday,<br />

making him possibly <strong>the</strong> oldest<br />

living American to have<br />

served in World War II.<br />

Levingston was born in<br />

1905 in Cotton Valley, La. He<br />

became a young man during<br />

<strong>the</strong> Roaring ’20s, was devastatingly<br />

poor during <strong>the</strong><br />

Great Depression and was<br />

drafted as a quartermaster<br />

T.L. “Sonny” Berry: Veteran,<br />

Fort Polk advocate<br />

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But Berry is perhaps better<br />

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He came back to Leesville and<br />

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Levingston spent most<br />

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See hoMe, A6<br />

Photo by Rick Hickman<br />

WWII vet Frank Levingston<br />

Special to <strong>the</strong> American Press<br />

T.L. “Sonny” Berry, right, receives special recognition for<br />

his lifetime <strong>of</strong> work and commitment to secure <strong>the</strong> future<br />

<strong>of</strong> Fort Polk by Fort Polk Progress Chairman Michael Reese<br />

during a luncheon last month.<br />

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