BREAKING: Montou named interim Oakdale marshal after Slaney's arrest, resignation
Montou, who previously served as chief deputy, will hold the position until an election can be held to officially fill the vacancy. Slaney's resignation follows a federal indictment involving an immigration visa fraud scheme.
As of Monday, the Secretary of State's website still lists the position as vacant.
Deputy Secretary of State for Communications Joel Watson Jr. said the seat will remain vacant in the state's records until Oakdale submits the minutes from the meeting where Montou was appointed.
Mouton announced his appointment on Facebook on Saturday and issued a statement addressing the community's concerns regarding recent events and the future of law enforcement.
'While I understand and share the concerns that many of you have, I would like to focus on the future of the Marshal's Office,' Montou stated. 'I am deeply committed to restoring trust and transparency with the citizens of Ward 5. I also feel that the Marshal's Office needs to be returned to its original purpose which is working closely with the Ward 5 Court. Most importantly, my vision for the Marshal's Office is to act in a community policing style capacity as I feel that this is the best way to serve my community.'
He concluded his statement by stating, 'Lastly. I look forward to my time as your marshal as well as the future of the Marshal's Office. I pledge to remain committed to upholding the law equally and with fairness within our community. Personally, I am a very approachable person and as your marshal, that will not change. While I continue to ask for your patience during this transition, I also would like to invite you to bring up your questions, comments, and concerns with me personally if you need to. Communication and transparency between law enforcement and the community is crucial to restoring the trust between us. Again, I would like to thank everyone for their support during this time and I look forward to what the future holds for the area of Ward 5.'
Slaney submitted his resignation to the Secretary of State's Office on July 22, a week after his arrest on the federal indictment. He, along with now former Oakdale Police Chief Chad Doyle, former Forest Hill Police Chief Glynn Dixon, and former Glenmora Police Chief Tebo Onishea, were arrested on July 15 following a 62-court federal indictment returned by a grand jury.
The indictment alleges that the defendants falsified police reports, listing immigrants as victims of bogus crime to allow them to remain in the country, in exchange for thousands of dollars. According to federal prosecutors the profits from the scheme were used to purchase vehicles, property, and other personal items.
Additionally, Oakdale businessman Chandrakat 'Lala' Patel, who received a U-Visa in 2023 as an armed robbery victim, was also indicted. Patel reportedly served as a middleman between undocumented immigrants and law enforcement officials in the scheme, which federal prosecutors say began in December 2015.
If convicted, the defendants face significant prison sentences and substantial fines.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
15 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Police investigating after neo-Nazis spark scuffle in Concord, N.H.
'No arrests were made at that time,' the department said in a statement on Sunday, 'however this is an active investigation and the department expects to release more information soon.' In a follow-up statement on Monday, the department said officers had received several video recordings and were working to identify those who may have been involved. Advertisement A lieutenant told New Hampshire Public Radio that police were investigating Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up The marchers appeared to be affiliated with the white supremacist ' A 'Rage Against the Regime' protest against the Trump administration was Video published by Advertisement A spokesperson for U-Haul told The Boston Globe on Monday that the company had received video and photos 'almost immediately' after the incident showing the equipment being misused. 'It is extremely dangerous, illegal and a breach of our rental agreement to transport people in the cargo area of our equipment,' spokesperson Jeff Lockridge said in an email. 'The customer on this rental contract has been identified and can no longer rent from us.' Lockridge did not identify the customer, and he said U-Haul teams work closely with law enforcement 'and are available to assist with any investigative needs they have.' The supermarket near where the scuffle was documented is just down the street from a cafe where a different white nationalist group The incident from 2023 is the subject of an ongoing civil rights prosecution by the New Hampshire Department of Justice, and Governor Kelly A. Ayotte said the DOJ's civil rights unit is ' 'There is no place for hate groups or their repugnant and disgusting ideology in New Hampshire,' she said. The incident sparked denunciations from Republicans and Democrats alike in New Hampshire. 'This was an act of intimidation rooted in a violent ideology responsible for genocide, war, and crimes against humanity,' said State Representative Alexis Simpson of Exeter, the Democratic minority leader in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. New Hampshire GOP Vice Chair Hollie Noveletsky said the neo-Nazi group's worldview is ' Advertisement 'The Republican Party is unequivocal in condemning this fringe organization as they promote a completely anti-American ideology,' Noveletsky said. At the same time, Republican State Representative Joseph H. Alexander Jr. of Goffstown wrote 'This is communities free speech,' he said, 'and I will support it.' Any witnesses with video of the incident is asked to call the Concord Police Department at 603-225-8600. Those who wish to report information anonymously can call the regional crimeline at 603-226-3100, submit information Steven Porter can be reached at
Axios
an hour ago
- Axios
Gift card controversy sparks audit and ethics questions ahead of primary
A gift card giveaway in Cleveland's Ward 1 has reignited scrutiny over City Council's discretionary spending — prompting pushback from Mayor Justin Bibb's administration, a state audit and public consternation. State of play: Councilman Joe Jones' office helped hand out $50,000 worth of grocery store gift cards to low-income residents, even though a nonprofit was supposed to handle distribution. Internal emails obtained by revealed that a council staff member warned this could pose ethical or legal risks, especially with Jones up for reelection this fall. The latest: The Ohio state auditor initially said no wrongdoing occurred, but reversed course during reporting and now says the issue is "under further review." The big picture: Council members control hundreds of thousands of dollars from casino tax revenue every year and fiercely defend their allocations. The money is often used for neighborhood infrastructure, economic development, public art, youth programming and food aid. Friction point: Bibb's office, which requested the state audit, called the gift card program "problematic" and susceptible to abuse. The other side: "At the end of the day, we followed everything that we were told to do," Jones told Council President Blaine Griffin said there are no explicit rules regarding distribution of aid, but acknowledged the need for more formal guidelines. What he's saying: In a Facebook post, Griffin shared the article and lashed out at critics, arguing that people only get mad when the government creates programs to help poor people. "I'm all about accountability," he wrote. "But I don't hear a whisper when developers and pet projects line up to get millions of dollars." Between the lines: Commenters pointed out there has been widespread opposition to developer handouts. Some replied that the current controversy is not about helping poor people, but about the potential for corruption: a councilperson doling out gift cards as an implied exchange for votes or loyalty.
Fast Company
an hour ago
- Fast Company
Some tourists and businesses could face a $15,000 bond to get U.S. visas
The U.S. could require bonds of up to $15,000 for some tourist and business visas under a pilot program launching in two weeks, a government notice said on Monday, an effort that aims to crack down on visitors who overstay their visas. The program gives U.S. consular officers the discretion to impose bonds on visitors from countries with high rates of visa overstays, according to a Federal Register notice. Bonds could also be applied to people coming from countries where screening and vetting information is deemed insufficient, the notice said. President Donald Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a focus of his presidency, boosting resources to secure the border and arresting people in the U.S. illegally. He issued a travel ban in June that fully or partially blocks citizens of 19 nations from entering the U.S. on national security grounds. Trump's immigration policies have led some visitors to skip travel to the United States. Transatlantic airfares dropped to rates last seen before the COVID-19 pandemic in May and travel from Canada and Mexico to the U.S. fell by 20% year-over-year. Effective August 20, the new visa program will last for approximately a year, the government notice said. Consular officers will have three options for visa applicants subjected to the bonds: $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, but will generally be expected to require at least $10,000, it said. A similar pilot program was launched in November 2020 during the last months of Trump's first term in office, but it was not fully implemented due to the drop in global travel associated with the pandemic, the notice said. The State Department was unable to estimate the number of visa applicants who could be affected by the change. Many of the countries targeted by Trump's travel ban also have high rates of visa overstays, including Chad, Eritrea, Haiti, Myanmar and Yemen. Numerous countries in Africa, including Burundi, Djibouti and Togo also had high overstay rates, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data from fiscal year 2023.
