The infractions range from possible criminal actions, like theft, to breaches governed by the state Ethics Board. I definitely can relate to that.. Late last summer, a Louisiana sheriff decided to use a long-dormant, unconstitutional criminal libel law to track down an online critic and search his home.Not that anyone had really been using . The one-paragraph bill of information released today accuses 38-year-old Dawn C. Foret of stealing or converting more than $1,000 of federal money from the U.S. Department of Transportation for her own use between November 2010 and July 2012. There were other accusations related to unpaid property taxes and about $350,000 worth of free renovations on a Savanne Road building now used to house an inmate work-release program. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Download the TMZ App on the Apple App Store, Download the TMZ App on the Google Play Store. "I think the show is ridiculous and disrespectful to the people of this parish," Larpenter told Katie Urbaszewski @ the Courier earlier this month. No charges have been filed against either employee, and neither have been investigated for similar disciplinary issues in the past, Terrebonne sheriff Jerry Larpenter said. With such a unique show, we knew it would take a little while to catch on.". Paranoia maybe. Under current state law, there is a maximum cap on annual parish sheriff salaries.. Former Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois and current Sheriff Jerry Larpenter said they were not aware of these actions and did not authorize Stewart to approve his own overtime, according to the factual basis document. We held our own against the Olympics. Bourgeois has not been charged with any wrongdoing. The show is successful, but locally there is a lot of negativity about the show and the newspaper perpetuates that.. NAME: Louis Vernon Bourgeois, Jr. AGE . "These are two of the top individuals that I've ever had the pleasure of working with," Larpenter added, noting that the allegations came about in 2012 when he resumed office from former sheriff Vernon Bourgeois. Take a good look at the cast and setting of "Cajun Justice" during its back-to-back episodes airing Thursday (Aug. 16) night. AdamRichman 8:53am via Twitter for iPhone. Teamed Up W/ Conor's Proper No. @MikeScottTP @mzcoffman Try the sandwich! 0 . michelle o'neill eyebrows meme. The agency is also investigating the officers' alleged simultaneous acceptance of payment for off-duty work, although the exact issue was unclear Wednesday. Waitz said his office engaged in negotiations with Bourgeois to secure the check, which was forwarded to Sheriff Jerry Larpenter. It was Bourgeois who took over from Larpenter when, in 2008, Larpenter ran for parish president. Terrebonne Sheriff's Assistant Chief of Detectives Capt. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Rivera handles the prosecution for Foret and Stewart's cases. A spokesman for Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell declined to comment on possible criminal charges. Auditors also say Bourgeois cashed out unused "accumulated" leave and received a clothing allowance causing his salary to exceed the statutory maximum in Louisiana, which could be a violation of. Larpenter was at the time resuming leadership of the office, following the single term of former sheriff Vernon Bourgeois, who took the reins after Larpenter left to pursue an unsuccessful bid to be Terrebonne's parish president in 2008. Send me email updates and offers from TMZ and its Affiliates. State law also prohibits giving away public property or other things of value, such as inmate labor, to another person, association or corporation, public or private.. That responsibility would instead go to the states Attorney General or federal investigators. Theyll also see parts of her home life, [], Tonights new episode of A&Es Duck Dynasty represents the last chance to play the Virtual Duck Call game on Twitter and win some beard-tastic prizes. The A&E network reality series, which has performed well enough ratings-wise to get a renewal, is moving on after its 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. season-finale episodes. 12 Partner. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Terrebonne Parish Sheriff L. Vernon Bourgeois Jr., has announced that he will not seek reelection to the job he has held for one term following the retirement of former Sheriff Jerry Larpenter. Dave Walker can be reached at dwalker@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3429. Foret is scheduled for an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in New Orleans on July 7 at 2 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Roby. Calls to A&E and the show's production company were not returned. RT @mzcoffman: Broccoli rabe, not broccoli. Following a month-long investigation, the state Attorney General's office did not find any evidence of criminal wrongdoing with regards to Foret and Stewart, Larpenter said. By Author Free Britney at It perpetuates the negative opinions of southeast Louisiana held by others through the degrading personifications of both our people and our lifestyle. I liked the show, and as long as things are not made up, its good. All rights reserved. "Cajun Justice" season finale bids farewell to the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office. Also not a fan was Jerry Larpenter, who replaced Bourgeois as sheriff a few weeks ago. Chad's brother, 36-year-old Shawn Wildt of Mt. Lest you think I'm crazy, Ian's smarts make him a genuine HoH threat the next time there's a trivia competish. His rising through the ranks included jobs in the detective bureau, with the DARE program, as a command officer and in human resource activities. A records request by The Courier in 2014 turned up no documents exchanged between the Attorney General's Office and the Sheriff's Office related to the audit. Psychic Tia) likes to tell people that her job involves playing charades with the dead. But its far from just being fun and games for the New Jersey clairvoyant, as she takes her paranormal abilities quite seriously. COVID vaccine associated with fewer heart problems, study says, Major industrial development underway tied to NASA in New Orleans East, Warm and humid Thursday before a cold front Friday. I can certainly understand where he is coming from, said Houma Police Chief Todd Duplantis, who admitted his surprise at Bourgeois decision. A recent audit focuses on Bourgeois' salary, benefits and travel expenses during his four years as sheriff, from 2008 until last year. Reality shows come and go for one reason or another, but the situation with A&Es Cajun Justice is a precedent nobody ever could have imagined. Louisiana's legislative auditor believes former Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois may have violated state law. TV Linkzilla Daily for 8/16/12 starts now. The former assistant chief of detectives at the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office faces a federal charge of theft of government funds. In a response letter, Bourgeois alleged the current sheriff Jerry Larpenter is also misusing office funds. confirmed, "We are no longer participating in the A&E show.". It depicts our population as ignorant-voodoo practicing-illiterate fools. An . Just follow Duck Dynasty on Twitter, then wait for one of the affiliated accounts including Willie, Korie, Jase, Duck Commander and A&E to tweet #QUACK or see if you can spot #QUACK on air during the new episodes. Her charges come just three weeks after the one-time head of the Narcotics Task Force pleaded guilty to the same offense. Former Terrebonne Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois has squared away paying the $19,175 the Louisiana Legislative Auditor says he owes the parish for gas, unauthorized leave and other expenses when he left office in 2011. Following the release of the audit, which is based on financial documents supplied by the Sheriffs Office, Larpenter could have asked another agency to open an investigation into possible criminal infractions conducted during Bourgeois time but chose not to. episode 2 21 min. No sheriff investigates another because we all know each other.. Send Flowers. Last week, ex-sheriff Vernon Bourgeois repaid $19,175 to the department for gas, unauthorized leave and other expenses when he left office. Whether any further accountability will be required of Bourgeois, who made the payment under protest, remains to be seen. Kadin said he tried to get Larpenter to think about it by increasing the show's payment to the budget-strapped department from $1,500 an episode to $10,000 an episode. Larpenter proceeded to fire two dozen staffers, many of which were featured prominently on the series. "Cajun Justice" follows Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois and his team of deputies while they fight crime in the swamps of Louisiana . The same plane was used on another occasion, to fly Bourgeois back to Houma during a Super Bowl holiday, to handle arrangements and other business following the death of a deputy, Tim Bergeron. Besides I lived there for awhile and found the people to be PROUD. Bourgeois said he wishes to make no comment on either audit. Bourgeois has not been charged with any wrongdoing. A recent audit focuses on Bourgeois' salary, benefits and travel. He was also singled out for providing security detail to Nicholls State University away games during three seasons, resulting in fuel, meal and salary costs of $21,000. He was criticized for taking. i loved the show! Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. The shows first season so far has averaged about 1.5 million viewers an episode, Kadin said, facing strong competition early and late in its run against the NBA Playoffs and then the Summer Olympics. For the sake of full disclosure, I am a voting member of the group that annually hosts the awards, the BFCA (Broadcast Film Critics Association). TCA Elementary panel: Why a Big Apple Holmes and a woman Watson could work, TCA: Weeds series finale and whats in those smokin props, Tia Belle (a.k.a. Vernon S. Bourgeois June 2, 1930 - February 10, 2016. We're told not only did the new Sheriff can most the cast, but as of July 1, he banned producers from following ANYONE in his department. If a sheriff or elected official does something wrong, that is when you get an outside agency to come in and investigate. Huge difference. 2023 www.houmatoday.com. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. He was reelected sheriff in 2012. District Attorney Joe Waitz Jr. announced last week that Bourgeois paid the money. speech pathologist and audiologist . Coffee shop conversation on Bourgeois announcement was one of both surprise and support of the popular sheriffs decision. Look, no one wants to have family time interrupted. The interesting aspect of reality TV is how it is perceived by the people who appear in the programs. A conviction could result in fines and up to five years in prison. The audit, conducted by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, says Bourgeois took vacation pay he wasnt entitled to, used Sheriffs Office resources for personal gain and oversaw other infractions. We have cooperated with the federal investigation and provided them with evidence that we believe demonstrates that Capt. Shortly after taking office in July 2011, Sheriff Jerry Larpenter raised questions about his predecessors spending habits. Bourgeois, a longtime Sheriffs Office employee, served one four-year term as sheriff. But indications are that the aircrafts use was obtained through proper channels with payments made for same. She seems like she is outspoken enough to warrant at least 15 minutes of fame. The cast of A&E's reality show Cajun Justice is dealing with a new sheriff in town one apparently bent on not having his team featured on a . See more. Ken Reichling, creator/executive producer, attempted to keep the show within the parish, and A&E agreed to increase the payment from $1,500 an episode to $10,000 an episode. One of Larpenter's first steps upon resuming office was to order an extensive internal audit, the results and records of which he said he turned over to state auditors, the state Attorney General's office and the FBI. And Slick, Sheriff Bourgeois is the crook. Its unclear whether a criminal investigation is occurring. The show followed Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois. Despite season one averaging 1.5 million viewers an episode, the newly elected sheriff, Jerry Larpenter, did not agree with the way the series represented his parish. tells TMZ, the new head honcho -- a guy named Jerry Larpenter -- FIRED 24 people on his first day including 5 of the 7 cast members featured on the show. I am simply tired and overwhelmed of the 24-hour a day commitment and have chosen not to seek re-election at the end of this term and look forward to retirement.. "Now we are monitoring everything and working with our financials to make sure we have new equipment, manpower and personnel," he added. At 52, Bourgeois has worked with the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office since 1982. Trust. The Terrebonne Sheriffs Department has been fairly quiet on Larpenters decision, but it did tell TMZ and other media outlets that they are no longer participating in the show. Fortunately for A&E, it already had enough footage to finish out the first and what we are presuming to be last season. The Louisiana Attorney General's Office said earlier this year Bourgeois will not face state charges. Thats something we want to continue., Photo credit: Gabby Jimenez/LSU Manship School News Service, Task Force on State Recognition of Indian Tribes meeting failed to establish criteria for recognizing tribes in Louisiana. confirms that new sheriff Jerry Larpenter fired 24 people on DAY ONE including five of seven people featured on the show. They often have to solve disputes between neighbors, or have to catch people doing illegal acts on the bayou, such as illegally hunting alligators, among other things. I think the new sheriff has his nose in the air and better watch out for a HARD RAIN STORM! Foret and Stewart remain employed and on duty. In Southern Louisiana, alligators are just a part of everyday life. My commitment has been and always will be to make our parish a safe place to live and raise our children and grandchildren.. [3] Episodes [ edit] References [ edit] Allegedly Raced UGA Assistant Before Fatal Crash, 2023 EHM PRODUCTIONS,INC. In a public letter, Bourgeois said he was proud of having been able to raise deputy employment standards and expand services to citizens both in the field and through an Internet program during his time as sheriff. Larpenter then sent a letter to Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera, notifying him that the payment from Bourgeois as the audit recommended had been made. Foret's attorney, Rodney Baum of Baton Rouge, could not be reached for comment. He owns a house in Houma, but countless attempts by reporters to reach him there and by phone since he left office have proven unsuccessful. Terrebonne Parish Sheriff L. Vernon Bourgeois Jr., has announced that he will not seek reelection to the job he has held for one term following the retirement of former Sheriff Jerry Larpenter. Many lawmen might have considered their own TV show a sweet perk to a new job, but not this badge-wielding cop. I must, but Domilise's is heaven on a loaf, so the bar's higher than NOLA humidity MT @AdamRichman: @MikeScottTP Try the sandwich! He repaid the money after the audits release. He was criticized for taking $16,133 for unused leave and taking a $600 clothing allowance. Hosted by Michael Strahan (the Super Bowl champion, Fox NFL Sunday analyst, and Live! . The Terrabone Sheriff Dept. The series debuted on June 7, 2012.[1]. A&E's 'Cajun Justice' departs Terrebonne Parish after season finale, Dave Walker, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. what happened to sheriff vernon bourgeois. seems like most shows i enjoy get cancelled anymore. 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