Gary Haynes is a well-known figure in the media. He first rose to prominence while serving as the district attorney for the city of Lafayette. He also works as an assistant at the public prosecutor’s office.
When it was rumored earlier this year that Haynes had been placed on administrative leave, the news made headlines.
It came a day after federal law enforcement was seen conducting an investigation into District 15 prosecutors at the Lafayette Township Courthouse. The investigation addressed allegations of misconduct by the agency.
Has Lafayette District Attorney Gary Haynes Arrested?
There are persistent allegations that Lafayette City Attorney Gary Haynes has been arrested for his alleged role in the OWI conspiracy.
It should be made clear that the news coverage was incorrect; Gary wasn’t the one being taken into custody; rather it was his wife Barna.
According to thecurrentla, Gary’s wife, Barna D. Haynes, who previously worked for Harson as the company’s secretary, was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2015 for her role in the OWI scam.
Harson brought Gary Haynes to court to prosecute OWIs and allowed individuals convicted in the massive cost-based conspiracy to train their successors. This comes just days after Harson’s wife admitted to collecting bribes to have the OWI charges dropped.
Lafayette District Attorney Gary Haynes’ wife, Barna Haynes, was convicted of bribery
Barna Haynes, wife of Gary Haynes, was found guilty of OWI fraud and sentenced to eighteen months in prison.
Additionally, in July 2015, U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Foote ordered Barna to pay a $5,000 fine in connection with a bribery case involving the district attorney’s office in Lafayette, Louisiana.
According to information obtained by ACADIANA ADVOCATE, authorities allege that Barna was the primary contact at the prosecutor’s office for Robert Williamson, Lafayette’s private investigator who is suspected of planning the scam.
Williamson’s trial began in June 2015 and the jury was selected that month. At the time, Williamson filed a guilty plea to various conspiracy charges, bribery, and Social Security fraud.
In addition to the specific DWI objections that allowed charges to be quickly processed and erased from available court documents, authorities allege that bribes were also provided to deter crimes.
Barna allegedly threatened an assault victim with criminal charges if the victim didn’t drop a lawsuit against one of Williamson’s clients, according to information gathered by FBI Agent Doug Herman.
Herman claimed she overheard Williamson asking Haynes to refer more cases her way so they could save up for the next vacation during one of the numerous calls between Haynes and Williamson that the FBI was allegedly secretly recording. Herman stated that she overheard the plea during one of the numerous calls between Haynes and Williamson that the FBI allegedly secretly recorded.
Where is DA Gary Haynes now?
Gary Haynes has not been charged with taking bribes and continues to serve as a contract attorney for the city of Lafayette in addition to his other duties.
Gary was placed on leave in May due to an ongoing federal investigation, but the details of his current situation have not been addressed. This may be because verification is pending.
His $65,000 annual salary for that position, which included misdemeanor, traffic and pre-trial responsibility, was terminated by the Guillory government in July while it awaited the results of the raid. His duties included overseeing pre-trial diversion and presiding over traffic violation cases.
Jamie Angelle, the chief communications officer for the Lafayette Consolidated Government, said in a statement he could not confirm whether or not Haynes’ absence was relevant to Monday’s investigation.
According to the guidelines that should be followed for a federal conviction, his wife, Barna, faced a sentence of between 30 and 37 months.
On the other hand, Foote claimed that an 18-month sentence for Haynes was reasonable given Haynes’ age, lack of a criminal record, and dangerous health.