LAFAYETTE– The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana honors the retirement of Assistant United States Attorney John Luke Walker after 36 years of dedicated and decorated federal service and the departure of longtime and invaluable support staff member Vicki Chance, who will now continue her public service working for the federal district court after 33 years serving the Office.
“Luke and Vicki represent the best that public service has to offer: two people who have dedicated their lives to keeping their Louisiana community safe, with Luke standing up in court and Vicki working behind the scenes to advocate for victims of some of the most serious crimes that occur in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “Their tenures at the Office, each spanning well more than three decades, are models of integrity, professionalism, and devotion to justice that have shaped not just generations of prosecutors and staff in our Office but also their Louisiana communities as well.”
Luke’s storied career included taking down the “Dreamboard” child exploitation website through a case that involved a total of 72 defendants and that was also one of the earliest significant actions against online child sexual abuse. His career was also distinguished in prosecuting dozens of defendants preying upon children in Louisiana and elsewhere as well as prosecuting public corruption, including unraveling bribery schemes within Louisiana district attorney offices that had a huge impact on improving public trust in one of our most important public institutions. These efforts led to his being awarded the Department of Justice’s Child Protection Award in 2013 and a Director’s Award in 2017 for his combatting an illegal pay-for-plea program, but awards don’t do capture the full scope of his contribution to Louisiana: a consummate trial lawyer and model prosecutor, Luke’s most enduring contribution is the mentorship, leadership, and friendship that he provided the Office and dozens of prosecutors over his 36 years.
Most recently, he was a member of the team that convicted long-time Lafayette prosecutor Gary Haynes in a high-profile corruption case.
Vicki served as the Office’s victim-witness coordinator for nearly 20 years while often stepping up to perform other functions the Office needed, including writing press releases and organizing community events. Before her role as victim-witness coordinator, she worked for 13 years as the legal assistant to the U.S. Attorney and First Assistant U.S. Attorney. Like Luke, her legacy at the Office is most pronounced in the leadership, mentorship, and friendship that she provided to support staff members who make our Office’s mission possible to achieve over her 33 years of service.
"The United States Attorney’s Office is only as strong and as dedicated to its mission and the public as its people: they are what make it possible for the Office to fulfill its mission to protect our Louisiana community. Luke and Vicki were and remain models to all of us for that service," the release states.
