SERVING ASCENSION, ASSUMPTION & ST. JAMES PARISHES

Gonzales Man Pleads Guilty to Burglary of Local Church Storage Building

         On February 15, 2017, Michael Duplessis of 43017 Weber City Rd. Gonzales, LA., age 34, pled guilty to Simple Burglary. Duplessis was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Phil Maples, and presiding over this matter was the Honorable Judge Thomas Kliebert. This guilty plea was the result of a plea agreement with prosecutors following a 2016 burglary. 

          On July 13, 2016, Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to Holy Rosary Church in St. Amant regarding a burglary. Upon arrival, deputies made contact with a church employee who advised that he was doing maintenance around the church when he made contact with an unknown white male subject. The subject advised that he was looking for the food bank. The employee continued to work around the church after directing the subject to the food bank. A short while later, the employee went to the storage shed where he observed that a tool box containing miscellaneous tools was missing. Deputies were able to identify the unknown subject as Michael Duplessis. Deputies were able to make contact with a relative of Duplessis who advised that Duplessis was in possession of the tool box in question and had gotten it at the church. Duplessis was subsequently arrested and booked into the Ascension Parish Jail. It should be noted that Duplessis has two prior burglary convictions. 

          Upon entering a plea of guilty to the above charge, as per the plea agreement with prosecutors, Judge Kliebert ordered that Duplessis be committed to the Louisiana Department of Corrections for a period of 10 years with credit for time served.