On 03/14/2016, Hubert Bourgeois of 902 Europe St. Baton Rouge, LA., age 54, pled guilty to 9 counts of Simple Burglary, 5 counts of Simple Criminal Damage to Property over $500, and 1 count of Simple Criminal Damage to Property Under $500. Bourgeois was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Phil Maples. Presiding over this matter was the Honorable Judge Thomas Kliebert. Following this plea, sentencing was deferred by Judge Kliebert pending a pre-sentence investigation. This plea stems from a rash of car wash burglaries throughout Ascension Parish.

Between 09/23/2015 and 11/09/2015, Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Deputies responded to burglaries at multiple different carwashes throughout Ascension Parish. Some of these businesses were burglarized on more than one occasion during this time frame. In all of the burglaries, the suspect entered the control area by cutting a hole in the roof. After making entry, the suspect used a grinder to break into the coin machines where cash and change were taken. Bourgeois became a suspect after being recognized on video surveillance by an employee at a nearby business of one of the car washes. Detectives showed the employee a photo line-up containing a photograph of Bourgeois. Bourgeois was identified as the suspect in this burglary. Detectives were able to obtain a blood sample located near the entry holes of one of the other businesses and had the sample examined. Scientific analysis confirmed that the blood was matched to Bourgeois. In addition to this evidence, following his arrest, Bourgeois confessed to the remaining burglaries and explained his mode of operation to detectives.

On 06/13/2016, Judge Kliebert sentenced Bourgeois to a total of 45 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served. On the charge of Simple Burglary, Bourgeois was sentenced to 5 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served on each count to run consecutive to one another for a total of 45 years. On the charge of Simple Criminal Damage to Property over $500, Bourgeois was sentenced to 2 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served on each count to run consecutive to one another for a total of 10 years. On the charge of Simple Criminal Damage to Property under$500, Bourgeois was sentenced to 6 months. The imposed sentences on the Criminal Damage to property charges are to run concurrent with the imposed sentences on the Simple Burglary Charges. Bourgeois has prior convictions for 7 counts of Felony Theft and Simple Burglary in East Baton Rouge Parish.