Private investigator pleads guilty to bribing DA staffers in exchange for favorable treatment
A private investigator has pleaded guilty to charges that he bribed employees of the Lafayette, Louisiana, District Attorney’s Office in exchange for favorable treatment for his clients.
Robert Williamson, 64, pleaded guilty Monday to charges of conspiracy, bribery and Social Security fraud at the start of jury selection in his federal trial, the Advocate reports.
According to court documents, Williamson admitted receiving at least $443,000 over a four-year period to secure special plea deals for his clients, mostly for DWI offenses, although some of the money was used to pay for fines and other expenses.
Williamson, who ran a business called Secret Cajun Man Limited, was accused of charging his clients in cash and using some of the money to pay off employees of the District Attorney’s Office for things like speedy dispositions and removing the charges from the public record.
“This is a win for the people of our community who no longer have to be concerned about drunk drivers subverting the criminal justice system,” U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley said in a written statement after Williamson’s plea.
Williamson’s lawyer, Thomas Damico, said his client had decided to enter a plea to “accept responsibility” and “get this over for himself and his family.”
Five other people who have been implicated in the scheme, including three former employees of the District Attorney’s Office, have already pleaded guilty to various charges and await sentencing.
The Louisiana Attorney General’s Office is conducting a separate investigation of the prosecutor’s office.
