LAFAYETTE, LA
A federal judge sentenced a private investigator involved in a a pay-for-plea bribery scheme where defendants charged with driving while intoxicated and various state crimes got favorable treatment to six years and six months in prison, officials said Friday.
Private investigator Robert Williamson,67, of Lafayette, was convicted on bribery and one count of Social Security fraud, according to authorities.
U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote also order Williams to pay $77,677.20 in restitution in addition to sentencing him to more than six years.
“The public good was circumvented by the greed and lies perpetrated by Williamson and his associates,” U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley stated. “People who should have been dissuaded from drunk driving by receiving jail time and other penalties were instead given a pass to endanger lives again and again.”
Adding “The damage that this conspiracy has wrought cannot be quantified. We hope that this sentence brings an end to this type of practice and serves as a warning to anyone who would try to conduct a similar scam and circumvent the legal process.”
According to the June 8 guilty plea, Williamson, who is not licensed to practice law, was part of a conspiracy from March 2008 to February 2012 that solicited thousands of dollars from people with pending criminal charges in the 15th Judicial District.
Williamson promised favorable resolutions to pending felony and misdemeanor cases, the majority of which were driving while intoxicated cases.
Williamson paid bribes in cash and other things of value to personnel within the District Attorney’s Office for the 15th Judicial District and employees with other organizations associated with the DUI program, including Acadiana Outreach.
Williamson also obtained false and fraudulent certifications from Acadiana Outreach, which certified that his clients completed court-ordered community service, when in fact the individuals had not.
Williamson would obtain fraudulent driver safety training certificates showing that Williamson’s “clients” completed court-mandated driver improvement programs when they had not.
Some of those monies were for fines, penalties and other expenses. During the course of the scheme, Williamson also received approximately $77,677.20 from the Social Security Administration that he was not entitled to receive.
Judge Foote sentenced co-defendants Barna D. Haynes, 61; Greg Williams, 47; and Sandra Degeyter, 64, all of Lafayette, on July 10 on one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
Co-defendants Denease Curry, 49, of Broussard, and Elaine Crump, 62, of Lafayette, were also sentenced on July 10, on one count of misprision of a felony for failure to report bribes offered and received by employees of the 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Haynes received one year in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Williams, Degeyter, Curry and Crump received two years of probation. Additionally, Williams and Degeyter were sentenced to six months of home confinement.
Hanyes, Williams and Curry are former employees of the District Attorney’s Office. Degeyter and Crump are former employees of Acadiana Outreach.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General.