
UPDATE: Oakdale police chief, marshal accused of exploiting immigration system for personal profit
These two are among five individuals accused in a year-long investigation into exploiting the U.S. immigration system for personal profit, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook. The investigation is part of 'Operation Take Back America.
Also indicted are Forest Hill Police Chief Glynn Dixon, former Glenmora police chief Tebo Onishea, and Oakdale businessman and Subway restaurant owner Chandrakant Patel.
Patel was booked into a Rapides Parish correctional facility, while all others were released.
During a press conference Wednesday, Van Hook emphasized that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The 21-page indictment includes 62 counts against the five individuals, with allegations of immigration fraud, visa fraud, mail fraud, bribery and. money laundering.
According to the U.S. Attorney General's Office, the individuals allegedly used profits from this scheme to purchase vehicles, real estate and other luxury items. Those assets are subject to seizure, Van Hook said.
The U.S. Attorney General's Office, Homeland Security Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigations and Internal Revenue Service began investigating the alleged conspiracy to fraudulently obtain hundreds of U-Visas last July, after receiving a tip from another law enforcement officer. The investigation concluded on Tuesday with several arrests and search warrants being executed by multiple law enforcement agencies in Allen and Rapides parishes.
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Former member of Texas National Guard convicted of conspiring to smuggle migrants
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American Press
a day ago
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Jim Beam column:What did those lawmen do?
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American Press
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Oakdale calls for resignation of police chief
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During a special meeting Monday, the council entered an executive session to discuss the city's legal options and ramifications under Louisiana's Lawrason Act. Vidrine noted the mayor and city council have limited authority over an elected police chief under the law. 'If he was appointed, there would be different options available,' he said. Doyle could potentially be removed through a recall petition, a lengthy process initiated by voters. 'He has to have due process and we (council) can't be the judge and jury for that,' District 1 Councilwoman Cassandra 'Shon' Allison said. 'He's basically considered innocent until proven guilty.' In response to the recent indictments, District Attorney Joe Green presented the council with a protocol memorandum outlining which cases the Allen Parish District Attorney's Office will and will not accept from the Oakdale Police Department. Green explained that allegations of this nature compromise the reliability and credibility of police reports, which his office lies on for prosecutions. 'Anytime you have allegations like that it is going to compromise the reliability and credibility of police reports that my office relies upon to prosecute cases,' Green told the council. 'When you have an offender that is arrested there is going to be investigatory material, oftentimes there is a victim that's relying on that, and we have to be able to rely on the correctness of that to convince 12 people to give out justice.' He added that his office has a duty to disclose any issues with a state's case to the defense. Under the new agreement, the District Attorney's Office will not accept any case in which Doyle played a role, nor will they accept cases based solely on non-emergency citizen complaints where the officer was not present at the scene or did not directly witness the incident. Any case requiring follow-up investigation or evidence collection must now be handled by the Allen Parish Sheriff's Office. Cases that will be accepted include those where an Oakdale police officer responds to an emergency in progress or directly witnesses a crime and takes immediate action. Citizens will be directed to the sheriff's office to report offenses and for the investigation of any cases not accepted under the new protocols. 'We are hoping in this unfortunate time this will pave the way for us to continue to have criminal justice at least with cases coming out of the Oakdale Police Department with some level of confidence,' Green said. 'Level of confidence that I would feel comfortable with producing that or filing criminal charges on and having a jury review that and not having to worry about anything else.' Allen Parish Sheriff Doug Hebert said Tuesday he has been working on collaborative efforts between the Allen Parish Sheriff's Office, the Oakdale Police Department, and Deputy Chief Grant Willis to ensure continued law enforcement services for Oakdale. 'We are adjusting shifts and allocating resources to maintain 24-hour deputy coverage at the sheriff's office substation in Oakdale, primarily handling felony calls,' Hebert said. 'We are confident the Oakdale Police Department can manage most misdemeanor cases typically handled by Ward 5 court. Additionally, both agencies are developing an audit procedure for reports. 'The problem is not with the officers,' Hebert said. 'The problem is with the leadership. So since he has been arrested in part for filing false reports, it necessarily taints all the reports generated in Oakdale.' The audit will aim to validate reports and address potential issues in court, ensuring public confidence in law enforcement, he said. 'Because of what he has been charged with that becomes what's called Brady material that the defense would have a right to bring up his indiscretions against each individual case that he had some input or ability to skew what actually happened,' Hebert said. 'Not saying he would or not, but the appearance of that impropriety is going to be there in every case.' He said the goal is to ensure that all cases, whether misdemeanor or felony, are not compromised and regain public trust in law enforcement. 'Everything is geared around and making sure there's some public confidence that law enforcement is on their side,' Hebert said.