Claire Taylor

ctaylor@theadvertiser.com

Six more people have been arrested on state charges for their alleged involvement in a bribery scheme in the 15th Judicial District Attorney's Office under former District Attorney Mike Harson.

They include two defense attorneys, a probation officer, deputy clerk of court, DMV official and deputy city marshal.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry announced the arrests during a news conference Monday on the steps of the Lafayette Parish courthouse.

The arrests are part of a new effort by the Attorney General's Office to address public corruption, Landry said.

His office will partner with the FBI, as it did in this case, and other officials to complete public corruption cases that the previous attorney general took no action on, Landry said.

Louisiana residents, he said, should know that government officials and employees will be held accountable and brought to justice if they break the law.

Those arrested Monday include:

Kevin Ozene, a Lafayette Parish deputy clerk of court, charged with injuring public records and malfeasance;

Christopher Luke Edwards and Dan Kennison, both defense attorneys, charged with corrupt influencing, criminal conspiring and accessory after the fact;

Justina Ina, a probation officer, charged with malfeasance;

Kenneth Franques Sr., a deputy city marshal, former Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office public information officer and unsuccessful candidate for sheriff, charged with public bribery; and

Joy Trahan, manager of the Lafayette branch of the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles, charged with malfeasance and criminal conspiracy.

Robert Williamson pleads guilty in bribery scheme that rocked DA's office

Landry said an arrest warrant has been issued for Robert Williamson, the former private investigator and mastermind behind the scheme, who is serving time in federal prison after pleading guilty in the federal investigation into the conspiracy.

Williamson will be charged with public bribery, corrupt influencing, filing false public records and criminal conspiracy.

He allegedly paid people to fast-forward the resolution of criminal cases, primarily drunk driving cases, and to fake documents showing his clients completed court-ordered sentences like community service and drivers education.

The FBI initiated the investigation in 2011. Six people, including a former assistant district attorney and Harson's secretary, pleaded guilty to federal charges in the case.

Landry does not anticipate additional arrests at this time. The investigation, however, is ongoing.

Williamson was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in federal prison after pleading guilty in June to one count each of conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery involving a program that receives federal funds and Social Security fraud.

Barna Haynes, the long-time secretary of Harson, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison.

Former Assistant District Attorney Greg Williams and Sandra Degeyter, a former employee of the Acadiana Outreach Center, pleaded guilty each to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. They were sentenced to two years on probation and six months of home confinement.

Denease Curry, Williams' former secretary, and Elaine Crump, a former Acadiana Outreach Center employee, pleaded guilty to one count each of misprision of a felony for failure to report the bribery. They were sentenced to two years on probation and 200 hours of community service.

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Bribery scheme timeline