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| U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley announced Monday that D.A. Mike Harson's longtime secretary pleaded guilty to accepting bribes over the past four years to help defendants secure favorable outcomes in misdemeanor and felony prosecutions, including drug cases and OWIs. To Finley's immediate left is Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke Walker, along with FBI agent Doug Herman, and AUSA Richard Willis. |
Finley says from about March 2008 to February 2012, Haynes accepted bribes from a co-conspirator (identified in court documents as co-conspirator #1) in return for her assistance in securing favorable outcomes in misdemeanor and felony cases in the district. Those cases involved a variety of crimes, most of which were OWIs. Finley says Haynes also accepted bribes in drug cases.
IND Monthly believes the uncharged co-conspirator in the bill of information is local private investigator Robert Williamson. Finley would not comment on the person’s identity but says the cases were for the co-conspirator’s “clients" (her emphasis) and also states that the co-conspirator has never been licensed to practice law. Haynes, according to Finley, knew the co-conspirator was not a lawyer. Courthouse sources tell IND Monthly Williamson, who was not an attorney, often acted in the capacity of one.
Finley also notes that the co-conspirator paid bribes of cash and other "things of value" to "personnel" in the DA's office (possibly indicating others were bribed) and to employees associated with the OWI program in the 15th JDC. Read more about Williamson here.
Haynes, who admitted to taking $55,000 in bribes — $500 for each case, the feds say — faces a prison term of up to five years, a fine of up to $250,000, or both, and a term of supervised release of not more than three years following confinement. Finley contends she took more than $70,000 in bribes.
Whether she will do time is up to the probation officer, who will assess the case and make a recommendation to the judge, who ultimately makes the decision on sentencing. The judge does not have to follow the federal guidelines, as they are not mandatory.
The FBI has been investigating the case for about two years, lead agent Doug Herman confirms. It is unclear whether the case started as a bribery investigation, as Herman would not disclose what led to the inquiry. The investigation first came to light in February 2012 when the feds searched Haynes office and Williamson's home. (The searches took place on Feb. 27, the same day the feds accuse Haynes of accepting one of the bribes). Haynes was placed on unpaid administrative leave after the search and resigned in August.
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| Photos by Patrick Flanagan |
| Louisiana Western District U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley |
Citing a “lack of oversight and safeguards” in the DA's office, Finley says Haynes began placing OWI cases of the co-conspirator’s “clients” in the “immediate 894 process” without the DA’s knowledge and approval. The DA’s office established the immediate 894 pleas on OWI cases, and in order to qualify charged individuals had to provide proof at the time of the plea that they had completed all legal prerequisities, including community service through Acadiana Outreach (some of which records show was done before the person was even arrested), a substance abuse program and a driver safety program. Finley says Haynes would coordinate the scheduling and execution of special immediate 894 sessions with the district court judge and the assigned assistant district attorney. Greg Williams is the assistant DA in charge of traffic prosecutions, which includes OWIs; his office was searched along with Haynes' in February of last year.
IND Monthly sources say Williams and his secretary, Denease Curry, will also plead guilty in the case. Read more here.
Haynes also prepared the expungement paperwork associated with the co-conspirator's "clients" and was paid $500 per case. Following the entry of the immediate 894 plea, the judge would grant the 894 motion dismissing the conviction, which served as an acquittal, and the defendant could instantly reinstate his driving privileges. The U.S. Attorney says Haynes’ and the co-conspirator’s actions “amounted to the selling of immediate 894 pleas.”
As part of the plea agreement signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick J. Hanna, Haynes promises to cooperate with the investigation and any other criminal matter for which she has any knowledge. She will also testify before a grand jury or at trial if asked to; if she makes any false statements or misrepresents her role in the bribery scheme, the plea agreement can be withdrawn. Federal Judge Elizabeth Foote is the trial judge.
Finley confirms there are more co-conspirators in the case and that additional guilty pleas are expected but would release no specifics.
Private investigator Williamson's attorney, J. Michael Small of Alexandria, told IND Monthly last week that his client has not been offered a plea deal.
Asked whether the case has gone before a grand jury, Finley said "not in terms of charges."
Check back with IND Monthly later Monday and Tuesday for more updates on this story.
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MAY 23 Jim Brown blogs about the senate race in this post. He says that, given Bobby Jindal's "lack of traction" on the national stage, it might make more sense for the governor to consider running against Mary Landrieu for the senate seat. Since Tim Teeple left the Cassidy team, it makes sense he might land on a Jindal for Senate team, Brown opines.
MAY 23 In this Louisiana Voice post, blogger Tom Aswell writes of rumors that his nemesis, state Superintendent of Education John White, may be soon departing Louisiana for a federal post. It's hard to believe, given his performance, Aswell says, but stranger things have happened. An anti-White BESE member says that, if true, White is quitting before he can be fired.
MAY 23 In this post on American Zombie, blogger Jason Berry writes about the Mother's Day shooting. Mayor Landrieu said that "this is not who we are," but the fact is, this is New Orleans, Berry writes. The violence infused in the city is the result of a culture created by "sins of omission or sins of commission," Berry writes. It's not a problem that can be solved by legislating, policing, praying or publicizing, he says: Someone's got to understand what's happening first.
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MAY 23 This editorial posted in The Advocate is a bit confusing. The writing is poor - definitely not up to the usual editorial writing standard there - and the point is hard to grasp. Apparently, the writer is saying that privatization of state efforts is OK, as long as there is oversight and transparency, but Jindal's not good at that, and the legislature shouldn't over-react. Okey Dokey. Can't they get one of them Pulitzer-winning people to write an editorial?
MAY 23 This post on The Lens gives you links to a new Google Earth tool that allows you to see any spot on earth transform over the past 30 years. Bob Marshall, who covers the coast for the paper, says that in the case of Louisiana's coastline, it's possibly something you don't want to see, because it's not a pretty picture. There are several clips here, showing critical areas erode away. For Marshall, it was vindication for all those times he was met with eye-rolling when he talked about erosion.
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