Gerard Dugue, Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law, LA 2005

Gerard Dugue, 66, of New Orleans, admitted in federal court today to covering up for a fellow officer’s criminal misconduct in the aftermath of the infamous Danziger Bridge shooting. Dugue pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to the deprivation of rights under color of law, a charge stemming from his role in shielding Arthur Kaufman, the NOPD’s lead investigator who orchestrated a false case against innocent civilian Lance Madison.

Dugue stepped in as NOPD’s principal investigator after the 2005 shooting, replacing Kaufman, who remained on the case as a co-investigator. What followed was a calculated whitewash. Kaufman, acting under color of law, had Madison falsely arrested, fabricated evidence, filed a fraudulent report, and buried exculpatory information. Dugue wasn’t just aware—he was complicit.

Court documents reveal Dugue knowingly prepared a report that falsely implicated Madison while clearing the officers involved in the bridge shooting. He did so with full understanding that the truth could trigger deeper investigations and prosecutions. Instead of upholding justice, he chose loyalty to corrupt cops over the Constitution.

His actions weren’t accidental or negligent—they were intentional. Prosecutors argued Dugue acted to hinder, delay, and prevent Kaufman’s arrest and punishment. The cover-up stretched across years, eroding public trust and prolonging the suffering of victims already scarred by one of the NOPD’s darkest hours.

U.S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt accepted the plea and sentenced Dugue to one year of probation. No jail time. No fine. Just a slap for helping bury the truth in a case that already saw multiple officers convicted and the city forced to pay millions in settlements.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, led by Kenneth A. Polite, secured the plea as part of an ongoing reckoning over police corruption in post-Katrina New Orleans. But for many, Dugue’s light sentence is another reminder: in the shadow of power, accountability often comes cheap.