- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Former Louisiana Wildlife Chief Pleads Guilty in Bribery Scheme
Montoucet conspired with business partner to secure no-bid contract through kickbacks
Mar. 31, 2026 at 10:06pm
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
The former Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, 78-year-old Jack Montoucet, has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to a 2021 kickback scheme. Montoucet conspired with DLG1, a business created to provide online educational courses for LDWF, to take one-third of the profits from a no-bid contract in exchange for helping the company secure the deal.
Why it matters
This case highlights ongoing concerns about corruption and lack of transparency in state government contracts, especially in industries like wildlife management that have significant public impact. The plea deal raises questions about accountability for high-level officials who abuse their power for personal gain.
The details
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Montoucet agreed to take kickbacks from DLG1 in exchange for helping the company obtain the no-bid LDWF contract for its online courses. The deal was that Montoucet would secretly get one-third of the profits, while the other two-thirds were split between former LDWF commissioner Dusty Guidry and Lafayette businessman Leonard Franques, who owned DGL1.
- On November 10, 2021, the LDWF contract with DLG1 was signed by Montoucet.
- From November 10, 2021 to June 10, 2022, LDWF received $454,174.14 from the contract, of which $122,507.96 was held as a kickback for Montoucet.
The players
Jack Montoucet
The 78-year-old former Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries who pleaded guilty to federal charges in a 2021 bribery scheme.
DLG1
A business created to provide online educational courses for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, which conspired with Montoucet in the kickback scheme.
Dusty Guidry
A former commissioner for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries who was involved in the bribery scheme.
Leonard Franques
A Lafayette businessman and owner of DGL1 who was involved in the bribery scheme.
What’s next
Montoucet is scheduled to be sentenced on June 30. He now faces up to five years in federal prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 as part of his plea deal.
The takeaway
This case highlights the ongoing need for stronger oversight and accountability measures in state government contracting to prevent corruption and abuse of power by high-level officials. The plea deal signals that even top-ranking leaders are not immune from prosecution for such schemes.
