Opelousas man, three other La. men, plead guilty in casino chip bribe scheme
MISSISSIPPI (AP)- Four Louisiana men, including one from Acadiana, plead guilty for attempting to bribe a Mississippi sheriff with casino chips.
Michael LeBlanc Sr., of Baton Rouge, Michael LeBlanc Jr., of Prairieville, Jacque Jones, of LaPlace, and Tawasky Ventroy, of Opelousas, has previously filed a not guilty plea.
On Wednesday, all four suspects pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. They will be sentenced on Feb. 10, 2020.
The charges stem from an attempt bribe a sheriff with $2,000 in casino chips in an effort to obtain profitable jail contracts.
According to the Associated Press, all are accused of scheming to win contracts to sell inmates phone service and commissary goods at a jail in Mississippi’s Kemper County.
They’re also accused of paying former Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps $2,000 and promising him future bribes to secure his help in influencing sheriffs, especially those with regional jails overseen by the state.
Epps was convicted of taking more than $1.4 million in bribes from private contractors and is serving a nearly 20-year federal prison sentence in Texas.
At this time all four suspects are out on bond.