[UPDATE: Read more on the indictment here.]



Lafayette City Marshal Brian Pope was indicted today by a grand jury in Lafayette on two counts of perjury and three counts of misuse of public funds to urge voters to elect candidate Chad Leger in last year's campaign for Lafayette Parish sheriff.



Pope's legal problems started with a public records battle with this paper after he held a bizarre press conference to attack Leger's then-opponent, Mark Garber, who went on to win the race.



For each perjury count, he faces a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment at hard labor for up to five years, or both. On the three misuse of public funds counts, he can be fined not more than $1,000 per count or be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for up to two years, or both.



Pope must report to the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center Thursday morning for booking.



More details to come. In the meantime, read more on what led to Pope's legal troubles here.

