⏱ 3 min read
Jack Montoucet, the former Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for conspiring to take illegal kickbacks in awarding a government contract. The scheme, which took place in Lafayette, Louisiana, involved Montoucet steering a contract to a company called DGL1, LLC, in exchange for one-third of the profit. The contract, awarded on January 27, 2021, was for providing online hunter and boater education courses. Montoucet, 78, pleaded guilty on March 31, 2026.
According to court documents, Montoucet used his position to ensure DGL1 had a competitive advantage in the bidding process. After the contract was awarded, Montoucet met with his co-conspirators, Dusty Guidry and Leonard Franques, to discuss how to conceal the payouts. The plan was to have Franques hold Montoucet’s portion until after he departed the LDWF and pay it to him as a purported “signing bonus” for consulting work.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Montoucet’s sentencing is a result of the joint efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana, the FBI, and the IRS. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Myers P. Namie, Lauren L. Nickel, and LaDonte A. Murphy, along with Trial Attorney Alex Dempsey of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice.
Montoucet’s sentence serves as a reminder of the consequences of public corruption and the importance of holding government officials accountable for their actions. The case highlights the need for transparency and integrity in government contracting and the need for effective oversight to prevent such schemes from occurring in the future.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Public Corruption
- Defendant: Louisiana
- Location: LA
- Source: DOJ Press Release
