Robert Williams, Corruption, Louisiana 2012

A brazen scheme to enrich themselves by administering a court-authorized Operating While Intoxicated program from March 2008 to February 2012 through the Lafayette District Attorney’s Office has been brought to a conclusive end. Local private investigator Robert Williamson, along with three Lafayette District Attorney’s Office employees and two community services program employees, devised a scheme to circumvent, undermine and damage the justice system in Lafayette Parish.

At the 33rd Director’s Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C. last week, U.S. Assistant Attorneys John Luke Walker and Robert C. Abendroth were recognized for their efforts in ending this illegal pay-for-plea program. The ceremony, held in the Great Hall at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building, honored 179 members of the Department of Justice.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein praised the awardees, stating, ‘These 179 award recipients embody the best of the Department of Justice. Today’s honorees have earned the esteem of their colleagues. But most importantly, you have earned the gratitude of your fellow citizens — whose communities you have made safer, whose lives you have improved and whose trust you have rewarded.’

Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook commended Walker and Abendroth for their work in the case, stating, ‘It took years of work, collaboration with many agencies and great effort to bring this case to a conclusion.’

The prosecution of U.S. v. Robert Williams et al. led to the conviction of six defendants. Charges against them include devising a scheme to enrich themselves by administering a court-authorized Operating While Intoxicated program from March 2008 to February 2012 through the Lafayette District Attorney’s Office. In return for a fee, fake documentation would be submitted to the court showing they had completed the required programs when they had not. The fees would then be paid as kickbacks to those participating in the conspiracy.

Robert Williamson and the other five convicted defendants will face the consequences of their actions. Their exact sentence or outcome is not specified in the source. However, the case serves as a testament to the dedication and hard work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Walker and Abendroth.

The case is a stark reminder that corruption and abuse of power will not be tolerated. The people of Lafayette Parish can rest assured that those who seek to undermine the justice system will be held accountable.

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