A former prosecutor convicted on federal bribery charges has begun the process of appeal.
Court records show that attorneys for Gary Haynes filed a Notice of Appeal last month, and that his appeal has now been docketed with the Fifth Circuit.
Haynes has been in prison since his sentencing on December 12, when the judge refused to allow him to remain free for the holidays. Prosecutors objected to that initial plan, saying that Haynes had business interests in Panama and $6 million in assets, and was a flight risk.
The court agreed, and ordered U.S. Marshals to take him into custody at the sentencing hearing.
Haynes' defense attorneys, Todd Clemons and Adam Johnson, both of Lake Charles, filed the formal notice of appeal on December 23, records show.
The attorneys handling the appeal are identified in the record as Amy Saharia and Lisa Blatt, both of the Williams and Connolly firm in Washington D.C. The firm is well-known for representing white-collar crime defendants.
Back in September, a jury deliberated around two hours before finding Haynes guilty on charges of conspiracy to engage in bribery; bribery; two counts use of a cell phone to facilitate bribery; conspiracy to commit money laundering; and obstruction of justice. He faced up to 60 years in prison and fines of up to $1.5 million or more.
During the December sentencing hearing, the court said the pre-sentence investigation had set Haynes' guidelines for Counts 1, 3, and 4 at 60 months. The range for counts 2, 5 and 6 was 97 to 121 months, plus fines of up to $250,000 on counts 1 through 5, and $300,000 on count 6.
The court sentenced him to 60 months on counts 1, 3 and 4, and 84 monts on counts 2, 5 and 6, all to run concurrently, or at the same time, for a total sentence of seven years. After Haynes completes his sentence he will serve two years of supervised release. His fine, of $200,000, must be paid within 60 days of the sentencing hearing.
In handing down his sentence, Joseph said several things to Haynes that he has said to the other defendants in the case. All of the crimes of which he was convicted were related to the Pre-Trial Intervention program of the 15th Judicial District Attorney's Office, where Haynes worked for his former law partner Don Landry.
Joseph referred to the "enormous power" and "almost unchecked authority" that district attorneys have in making decisions about charges - "an encapsulation of one of the fundamental roles of government - to protect public safety."
"But you let your greed take over," Joseph said. Haynes "corrupted" the PTI program, he said.
"You were not just an attorney, but a prosector," said Joseph, who earlier in his career served as a JAG prosecutor and U.S. Attorney.
The system is "ripe for abuse," and by soliciting bribes from defendants, Haynes and his co-conspirators were taking advantage of people who are often desperate and at their lowest point, the judge said.
"The system cannot accept or tolerate corruption in any public servant," he said.
Haynes' case comes roughly a decade after his spouse pleaded guilty in a bribery scheme, also involving the District Attorney's Office; she served time in federal prison. To read more about that, click here. His wife now is ill; her health issues were the subject of a Motion to Continue earlier this year, which was denied.
Haynes was indicted in Fall 2024. He was accused of using his position over the 15th Judicial District Attorney's Pretrial Diversion program to solicit bribes from companies that provided required programs to people who participated in the program.
The trial lasted a little more than a week. Haynes was prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Luke Walker, Assistant U.S. Attorney John Nickel and Assistant US Attorney Steven Loew. Haynes' defense team was led by Lake Charles defense attorney Todd Clemons, himself a former federal prosecutor.
Testimony at trial showed that the FBI used Haynes' alleged co-conspirators to weave the web that ensnared him. The investigation began in July 2021 when the FBI got a tip about Joseph Prejean shaking down defendants who were facing charges in the 15th Judicial District. The wiretaps began with him, and expanded to Dusty Guidry and Haynes based on information gathered on those tapes. Prejean, Guidry and Scott businessman Leonard Franques already have pleaded guilty and been sentenced. Prejean was sentenced to 18 months in prison, $40,000 in fines and three years of supervised release. Franques was sentenced to one year in prison, more than $169,000 in fines and forfeitures, and one year of supervised release. Guidry was sentenced to four years in prison.
Testimony showed that Franques agreed to cooperate early on, wearing wires and setting up video cameras to capture conversations with Guidry and Haynes. Those recordings played a major role in the government's case. According to the government's theory of the case, Guidry and Haynes began working in the pretrial diversion program shortly after Don Landry was elected District Attorney. Franques was making money by offering classes to participants in the program for a fee; he was splitting the fee with Guidry and Haynes in exchange for their efforts to get him more customers. Haynes paid the two men more than $219,000 to "buy in" to the scheme, and resurrected along-dormant LLC in order to serve as a depositor for some of the graft, along with more bribes coming from Franques in connection with a similar scheme involving the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. In that case, former LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet was indicted and is awaiting trial.
If you'd like to read more of our coverage of this case, here are some stories:
https://www.katc.com/lafayette-parish/update-dusty-guidry-sentenced-to-four-years-in-prison
https://www.katc.com/lafayette-parish/gary-haynes-files-motion-for-new-trial
https://www.katc.com/lafayette-parish/prosecutors-respond-to-haynes-motion-for-new-trial
https://www.katc.com/lafayette-parish/haynes-trial-what-the-jury-didnt-hear
https://www.katc.com/lafayette-parish/jury-deliberations-underway-in-federal-bribery-trial
https://www.katc.com/lafayette-parish/gary-haynes-suspended-from-the-practice-of-law
https://www.katc.com/lafayette-parish/another-former-da-employee-testifies-in-bribery-trial
https://www.katc.com/lafayette-parish/bribery-trial-resumes-jury-hears-more-recorded-conversations
https://www.katc.com/lafayette-parish/witness-disputes-fbis-version-of-her-statement-takes-the-fifth
https://www.katc.com/lafayette-parish/update-former-ada-gary-haynes-indicted-by-federal-grand-jury
https://www.katc.com/lafayette-parish/update-court-denies-haynes-motion-for-new-trial
