On August 30, 2017, Thomas Fontenot of 3203 Hwy 70 S Pierre Part, LA., age 18, pled guilty to the charge of Simple Robbery. Fontenot was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Thomas Daigle, and presiding over this matter was the Honorable Judge Jason Verdigets. This guilty plea was the result of a plea agreement with prosecutors following the robbery of a Pierre Part bridge tender. 

          On January 17, 2017, shortly after 10:00 pm, Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the area of LA 70 and N Bay Rd. in Pierre Part after receiving reports of a robbery. Upon making contact with the victim, she advised that she was a bridge tender on the Pierre Part Bay bridge and had just gotten off from work. The victim advised that while she was walking to her vehicle after completing her shift, a white male subject ran up from behind her and used force to take her lunch box which contained a cell phone, checkbook, and a credit card. The subject then fled the area. Deputies and detectives canvassed the area, but were unsuccessful in locating the suspect. The next day, detectives received word that the suspect in the robbery had been bragging about what he had done. After conducting several interviews, detectives identified the suspect as Thomas Fontenot. A warrant of arrest was issued for Fontenot, and he was subsequently arrested and booked accordingly. While being interviewed by detectives, Fontenot confessed to committing the robbery and told detectives where the items taken could be located. Detectives were able to locate some of the items which were later returned to the victim. 

          Upon entering a guilty plea to the above mentioned charge, as per the plea agreement with prosecutors, Judge Verdigets ordered that Fontenot be committed to the Louisiana Department of Corrections for a period of 3 years at hard labor with credit for time served.