Former BR officer admits role in bribery, fixing cases

• By BILL LODGE
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Nov 5, 2009 - Page: 1B

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Recently resigned police Officer Leonard P. Jackson is the fourth person to plead guilty to felony charges in a continuing federal investigation of bribery allegations in state and city courts in Baton Rouge.

“This started with a tip from a citizen who was fed up with corruption,” U.S. Attorney David Dugas said Wednesday after Jackson’s plea.

“Public corruption can’t survive if the public won’t tolerate it,” he added.

Dugas said the ongoing investigation has thus far unearthed wrongdoing involving bribery, prostitution, drug offenses and domestic violence.

“It’s far more than ticket-fixing,” the top local federal prosecutor said.

Neither Jackson nor his attorney, Angela F. Lockett, would discuss the case after the hearing.

“We don’t have any comment,” Lockett said.

Jackson, 45, of Prairieville, admitted before U.S. District Judge James J. Brady that he conspired with others to “fix” both criminal and traffic cases.

Jackson, who resigned from the Baton Rouge Police Department on Oct. 23, also pleaded guilty to using a telephone to arrange a bribe for himself.

The bribe was paid in return for Jackson’s help in collecting a $10,000 gambling debt on behalf of a man with a traffic citation, according to a bill of information.

In a signed admission, Jackson also said that from 2006 until last month, he “accepted cash payments in exchange for causing criminal and traffic charges pending in (Baton Rouge City Court) to be dismissed, reduced, or otherwise ‘fixed.’ ”

Jackson also admitted he “referred individuals seeking to have criminal charges fixed to E.J., a middleman who facilitated bribes to prosecutors, including F.B.”

In the same signed admission, Jackson said he “was one of several individuals who referred such matters to E.J., who was a leader of the bribery scheme.”