07-08-2025
Allen Police Jury calls special election to fill Ward 5 Marshal position
The Allen Parish Police Jury has called for a special election to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of former Ward 5 Marshal Michael 'Freck' Slaney.
Police jurors on Monday officially accepted Slaney's resignation and scheduled a special election for April 18, 2026, to fill the vacant position. Qualifying for the election will be held Jan. 14-16, 2026.
Slaney resigned on July 22, following his arrest on July 15. He and four others, including former Oakdale police chief Chad Doyle, are facing federal charges related to an immigration fraud and money laundering scheme. A grand jury indicted them on 62 counts for allegedly conspiring to fraudulently obtain U-Visas and create false police reports for alleged victims and witnesses of the bogus crimes.
During the meeting, Ward 5 Judge Luke Abrusley introduced interim Marshal Deputy Craig 'Bubbie' Montou who was sworn in office on Friday. Montou, the former deputy chief, will serve as marshal until the special election.
Abrusley said he has known Montou personally and professionally for many years and vouched for his honesty and integrity.
'He and I have already started talking about getting some things back in place for the Ward 5 Marshal's office and my office and we are here to assure you all that we're going to work very hard so that y'all continue to trust the Ward 5 court and marshal's office,' Abrusley said.
Abrusely also addressed concerns regarding the Ward 5 court and the marshal's office, assuring jurors that both are in good standing, clarifying that no allegations involved public funds.
'There were no allegations in these unfortunate set of circumstances about public funds,' Abrusley told police jurors. 'There's nothing tampered with (in) the marshal's office as far as these allegations go, and there was certainly nothing with the court.'
He stressed that despite not overseeing marshal's funds, efforts are in place to ensure the proper handling of all public funds.
While acknowledging a breach of public trust by a public official, Abrusley affirmed that other public officials are working to restore public confidence in the Ward 5 Marshal's Office.
The court continues to operate without interruption, and he expressed gratitude to Montou, the secretary, and the remaining deputies for their efforts during the transition. He also noted that the deputy chief automatically assumes the marshal role in case of a vacancy.
