LAFAYETTE, LA. (FNN) – The U.S. Department of Justice announced today that a federal grand jury in Lafayette, Louisiana, has indicted former Assistant District Attorney Gary Haynes, 66, on multiple felony charges, including conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, money laundering conspiracy, and obstruction of justice. Haynes, who served in the 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, faces a maximum sentence of 65 years if convicted.

According to court documents, Haynes conspired with Dusty Guidry, Leonard Franques, and others to solicit bribes and kickbacks through the Pretrial Intervention (PTI) program he oversaw. The program offered an alternative to criminal prosecution for certain offenders. In exchange for approving participants into the PTI program, Haynes directed defendants to take paid courses offered by Franques’ companies, receiving kickbacks for his involvement. Charges against the defendants were subsequently dismissed after completing the courses.

The indictment also alleges that Haynes and his co-conspirators concealed the kickback proceeds, including reactivating a defunct company to disguise the income. Additionally, Haynes is accused of obstructing justice by directing a co-conspirator to destroy or alter documents to hinder future investigations.

Franques pleaded guilty in January 2023 to conspiracy to commit bribery, while Guidry pleaded guilty in March 2023 to multiple bribery-related charges. Both are scheduled for sentencing on October 24, 2024.

The case is being investigated by the FBI New Orleans Field Office and IRS Criminal Investigation, with Trial Attorneys Steven Loew and Trevor Wilmot of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Luke Walker and John Nickel prosecuting.

CorruptionCharges, BriberyScandal, JusticePrevails, FBIInvestigation, Louisiana

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (FNN) – Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii, has been charged with firearms offenses in connection with an apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. The criminal complaint, filed in the Southern District of Florida, accuses Routh of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession and receipt of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He made his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Ryon M. McCabe in West Palm Beach on September 15, 2024, with a detention hearing scheduled for September 23.

Incident Details
According to the criminal complaint, a U.S. Secret Service agent patrolling the perimeter of the golf course spotted what appeared to be the barrel of a rifle emerging from the tree line. The agent, fearing an imminent threat, fired a service weapon in the direction of the suspected shooter. A witness later saw a man, identified as Routh, fleeing from the area.

Routh was apprehended by officers from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Upon searching the tree line where Routh was seen, authorities discovered a backpack, a digital camera, a loaded SKS-style rifle with a scope, and a black plastic bag containing food. The rifle’s serial number had been obliterated, further raising suspicions about its intended use.

Criminal Background
Routh has a history of felony convictions in North Carolina, dating back to December 2002 and March 2010, making it illegal for him to possess firearms under federal law.

Ongoing Investigation
The FBI is leading the investigation into the apparent assassination attempt, with support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the U.S. Secret Service. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division are prosecuting the case.

Potential Impact of Violence
This incident underscores the continuing risk of violence targeting high-profile figures like former President Trump, whose outspoken leadership has attracted both fervent support and opposition. The attempted attack raises concerns about the safety and security of public figures in highly politicized environments, further heightening tensions in the nation. It also stresses the importance of strict enforcement of firearms laws, especially involving convicted felons.

As the investigation continues, the possibility of further charges related to terrorism or other offenses may emerge, depending on Routh’s motive and associations.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Disney on Monday amended its free speech lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis to add recent developments in the tit-for-tat fight between the entertainment giant and the Florida governor, such as a new law granting the state unprecedented authority to inspect a monorail system at Disney World.

Disney’s amended complaint filed in federal court in Tallahassee is updated with developments since the entertainment giant almost two weeks ago sued DeSantis and an oversight board for the Disney World governing district that is made up of members newly appointed by the governor.

The new complaint references legislation passed last week by Florida lawmakers that rescinds agreements that Disney and a previous oversight board consisting of Disney supporters made earlier this year, giving the entertainment giant control over design and construction at Disney World. The amended lawsuit also includes the new measure passed last week by Florida lawmakers giving the state authority to inspect Disney World’s monorail system, which previously had been conducted in-house.

Disney is the only company impacted by the new measure and it “was precision-engineered to target Disney alone, just as Governor DeSantis intended and previewed,” said the amended lawsuit.

The Disney lawsuit asks a federal judge to void the governor’s takeover of the theme park district, as well as the oversight board’s actions, on the grounds that they were violations of company’s free speech rights.

Almost a week after Disney filed its lawsuit, members of the oversight board sued Disne y last week in state court in an effort to maintain its control of construction and design at Disney World. It claimed the agreements between the company and previous board members “reek of a backroom deal.”

Disney and DeSantis have been engaged in a tug-of-war for more than a year that has engulfed the governor in criticism as he prepares to launch an expected presidential bid in the coming weeks.

The fight began last year after Disney, beset by significant pressure both internally and externally, publicly opposed a state law that bans classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades, a policy critics call “Don’t Say Gay.”

As punishment, DeSantis took over Disney World’s self-governing district through legislation passed by Florida lawmakers and appointed a new board of supervisors that would oversee municipal services for the sprawling theme parks and hotels. But before the new board came in, the company made agreements with members of the previous oversight board that stripped the new supervisors of their authority when it comes to design and construction.

The creation of Disney’s self-governing district by the Florida Legislature was instrumental in the company’s decision in the 1960s to build near Orlando. The company had told the state at the time that it planned to build a futuristic city that would include a transit system and urban planning innovations, so the company needed autonomy in building and deciding how to use the land. The futuristic city never materialized and instead morphed into a second theme park that opened in 1982.