Former Louisiana Wildlife Secretary Faces Federal Charges in Kickback Scheme

A former bureaucrat has (surprisingly) been ensnared in a massively corrupt kickback scheme in Louisiana and was in a federal court last week with his first attempt at pleading his case. 

Jack Montoucet, the former Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, has been indicted on five federal charges related to an alleged kickback scheme involving a statewide department contract. The case, which is currently unfolding in Lafayette, Louisiana, centers on accusations of bribery, money laundering, and wire fraud, with the conspiracy allegedly spanning from May 2020 to June 2022. On Thursday of last week, Montoucet appeared before Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst, where he pleaded not guilty to five charges stemming from a May 2025 indictment and has expressed readiness to defend himself at trial.

Montoucet served as the LDWF Secretary until his sudden resignation in October 2023, following questions about the contract at the heart of the case. The indictment, announced on May 21st, by Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook, details a scheme orchestrated by Dusty Guidry, a central figure who allegedly facilitated bribes through programs designed to allow defendants to avoid prosecution or fulfill court-ordered requirements. The case has drawn significant attention due to Montoucet’s prominent role and the involvement of multiple co-conspirators who have already pleaded guilty.

After pleading guilty himself, Guidry admitted that he and a high-ranking LDWF official were accepting bribes from a contractor that provided online courses for Louisiana’s mandatory hunting and boating licenses. According to the Department of Justice, both Montoucet and Guidry along with “others known and unknown to the grand jury” would take kickbacks from Leonard C. Franques (who has also pleaded guilty to bribery charges) in exchange for awarding contracts to Franques’ business known as DGL1.

“The indictment further alleges that Montoucet and Guidry used their official positions at LDWF to award a state contract to DGL1 and under the contract, DGL1 would provide online hunters’ education and boaters’ education courses and the education courses to resolve LDWF citations,” the DOJ stated. “It is alleged that DGL1 would keep a portion of the revenue generated from providing those services and in exchange, Franques agreed to provide, and Montoucet and Guidry agreed to accept kickbacks and other things of value.”

According to the indictment, at least $122,508 was set aside as a kickback for Montoucet, to be paid after he left office. The scheme reportedly involved a “signing bonus” and relied on wiretaps to uncover communications among the conspirators. The contract in question was tied to LDWF operations, though specific details about its nature remain limited in public reports.

Despite his confidence, Montoucet has his back up against the wall in the case. With three other co-conspirators previously entering guilty pleas in the case, the insider's account of the scheme’s operational efficiency (or lack thereof) are most certainly working to strengthen the prosecution’s case.

He’s currently facing a barrage of charges and allegations including conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, money laundering and a pair of wire fraud counts. If convicted, Montoucet could be nailed with $1 million worth of fines, 5 years in prison for the conspiracy count, and up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud and money laundering counts.

The case is proceeding in the Western District of Louisiana’s federal court and is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.