Attorney General Loretta Lynch met with Justice Department officials in Baton Rouge last week. The meeting was possibly to discuss ways for police and the communities they serve, according to former U.S. Attorney Don Cazayoux, of the Cazayoux Ewing Law Firm.
Cazayoux says that the Attorney General may be trying to understand the way communities are policed in light of Baton Rouge’s recent police tragedies. On July 5th, Alton Sterling was shot and killed by police officers while numerous bystanders filmed the incident. Days later, on the 17th, three Baton Rouge police officers were killed by a shooter. With similar events in St. Paul and Dallas, July has been a tense month for the relationship between police and minority communities.
Cazayoux believes that these issues were a primary topic of discussion during the AG’s visit. Learn more about Mr. Cazayoux’s input here.
Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates sent out a memorandum to all U.S. Attorneys last September issuing guidelines for how to investigate cases against corporate entities. Corporations oftentimes are able to evade being held accountable for crimes because it can be challenging to find an individual to try.
However, the contents of the memo might encourage corporations to behave in a more guarded manner during investigations. This is because it requires attorneys to build cases against individuals in corporations as soon as an investigation is opened rather than after a great deal of information has been gathered. The idea is that lower-level employees should provide the government with information about higher ups who make decisions to violate laws. This means a corporation’s internal investigation might be compromised, as people will be less likely to bring up wrongdoing for fear of being blamed or prosecuted. It can also create issues of infighting within corporate employees.
In an article posted on businessreport.com, the Cazayoux Ewing Law Firm‘s own Don Cazayoux explains how this shift in policy may make it more challenging to receive cooperation from corporations who are facing criminal charges. He says that defining “full cooperation” in these investigations can already be difficult. Generally, corporations want to provide just enough information to say they’ve cooperated with an investigation, but they are likely to hold back more damaging facts about their actions.
Ideally, these guidelines will help deter corporate wrongdoing. However, their effect remains to be seen.
A woman who allegedly received oil-spill recovery money of $150,000 faces trial. She claimed she lost wages as a Holiday Inn manager in Biloxi, but federal indictment says she did not work for Holiday Inn before the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The second indictment against Vanna Ly, formerly of Biloxi, alleges falsified bankruptcy petition and concealed her assets. She now lives in New Orleans and is set for trial on a court calendar starting September 6th. The Sun Herald reports she pleaded not guilty to all charges. Ly is charged with attempt and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in the oil spill case and concealment of assets and four counts of making false declarations in a bankruptcy proceeding.
If you have been charged with committing wire fraud, you should speak with a wire fraud defense attorney at Cazayoux Ewing Law Firm as early on in the legal process as you can. Please call our offices in Baton Rouge at (225) 650-7400 today.
A former maritime industry worker, Melvin Lewis II, was convicted Tuesday in federal court for 30 counts of mail fraud. Lewis considers himself a “sovereign citizen”, and as such believes the government has no legal jurisdiction over individuals.
He sent several letters to co-workers, police officers, municipal employees and a state district judge, demanding millions of dollars for arbitrary reasons such as speaking his name without his permission. He also filed for liens on the property of some of his victims in order to receive payments. The 53-year-old man was convicted after a one-day bench trial before U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier. Lewis could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of his offences. Lewis’ fraudulent behavior began in 2013 after he was supposedly promised a promotion at Dynamic Industries Inc. but didn’t receive one.
If you have been charged with fraud, you should contact one of the Baton Rouge mail fraud defense attorneys at Cazayoux Ewing Law Firm. Call us at (225) 650-7400 to begin preparing a comprehensive legal strategy for your defense.
Reverend John Pitzer was enjoying his Saturday after his ordination as a priest, only to wind up in a hospital just hours later.
Pitzer and a friend were riding in the back seat of a Mercedes when a Nissan ran a red light, rear-ending their vehicle. Pitzer suffered from bruises and broken ribs, while his fellow 54-year-old passenger George Mabon sadly succumbed to his injuries. The driver of the Mercedes, John Baur, was arrested for a first-offense DWI and reckless operation of a vehicle. Baur failed a field sobriety test and was found to have a blood alcohol level of 0.13 percent, which in Louisiana can be used as presumptive evidence of drunken driving. The driver of the Nissan was also taken to the hospital for injuries he sustained in the incident.
Baur has been released on a $3,000 bond, but could face multiple charges. Many individuals are put in danger when reckless drivers are on the road, whether disregarding traffic signals or choosing to drink and drive. If you or a loved one has been killed or injured in a wreck caused by a negligent driver, please call personal injury attorneys at the Cazayoux Ewing Law Firm at (225) 650-7400 today.
Attorney Michael S. Fawer of Covington recently filed suit against two of his former staffers due to suspected theft and fraud.
According to the May 3 lawsuit, defendants Hailey Lawton and Regina Lawton allegedly stole funds from their boss. The complaint revealed that Fawer became aware of Regina Lawton taking funds from his account without his permission. She was also suspected of padding her paychecks and issuing checks to Hailey Lawton for unearned hours of work. Regina Lawton was also suspected of transferring Fawer’s funds to her personal account, the suit alleged. Fawer is expecting to recover all of his losses, including legal costs, from the two defendants.
Facing fraud allegations can be a frustrating situation, especially if you are being threatened with prolonged imprisonment and hefty fines. However, working with a skilled attorney can ensure that your rights are protected through every step of litigation. Find out how an attorney at the Cazayoux Ewing Law Firm may tirelessly work for you in Baton Rouge by calling (225) 650-7400.
According to the The Advocate, an 80-year-old man, a resident of Baton Rouge and a bicyclist, was killed at the scene of an accident when an 18-wheeler truck hit him on March 17. The accident occurred in the 4700 block of Plank Road in Baton Rouge at around 10:30 a.m. East Baton Rouge Parish coroner William Clark said that the death was due to multisystem trauma caused by the truck accident.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Don A. Coppola stated that the man was riding his bicycle northbound on Plank Road’s southbound lanes. The 18-wheeler that struck him turned onto Plank Road and came from Byron Street. Additionally, Coppola revealed that there are no charges filed against the driver of the truck.
Mika Torkkola, a Baton Rouge bicycle safety advocate, said that riding the wrong way is illegal and unsafe for the rider, but that this is actually extremely common among people from Baton Rouge, who believe that this is the safe and correct way to ride their bike.
The Cazayoux Ewing Law Firm is currently handling the case of a father who is searching for the identity of an 18-wheeler driver who, according to witnesses, ran his 18-year-old daughter off the road in an accident that ultimately took the girl’s life. According to various accounts, Madison Welch was traveling home after a hunting trip when her parents received a troubling phone call from one of Madison’s friends. The friend said that she had been talking to Madison on the phone when she said, “Oh God, this truck,” and then her phone started directing straight to voicemail.
Shortly after, officers arrived at Madison’s home informing her family that there had been an accident. A witness to the event said that an 18-wheeler swerved into Madison’s lane, causing her pickup truck to flip into the median.
Madison’s parents are now searching for any information they can get their hands on that might help them identify the driver of the 18-wheeler that they believe ran Madison off the road. You can read more about this story by clicking here.
Attorney Donald Cazayoux of the Cazayoux Ewing Law Firm was recently named a 2016 Super Lawyer for Criminal Defense. The Super Lawyers designation is given to those attorneys who demonstrate excellence in practice, and are chosen through a selective review process. At the Cazayoux Ewing Law Firm, we are dedicated to representing those who have been accused of committing white collar crimes and those who have suffered catastrophic injuries caused by the negligence of another party. To find out what our team of experienced attorneys can do to help you with your legal concerns, contact us today at (225) 650-7400.
Attorneys Don Cazayoux and Lane Ewing of Cazayoux Ewing Law Firm are representing a group of painters from Baton Rouge who have filed a class action complaint against their former employer, Purity Group, LLC, stating that they were wrongfully denied overtime wages. According to the suit, the employees claim that they each worked 9 hour shifts 6 days out of the week. According to the Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid time-and-a-half for any time worked in excess of 40 hours in a single work week.
In addition to allegedly being denied proper overtime wages, the plaintiffs in the suit claim that they were denied their final paycheck, depriving them of payment for 30 hours of work performed. As such, the plaintiffs are seeking back payment for all unpaid overtime wages, as well as for the value of their final, unpaid paychecks.
