New Orleans Judge, Two Lawyers Charged in Bribery Scheme

Last week Wayne G. Cresap, an elected judge of the 34th Judicial District Court for the Parish of St. Bernard in New Orleans, Louisiana, and attorneys Nunzio Salvador “Sal” Cusimano, Jr and Victor J. “V.J.” Dauterive, were charged jointly in a bill of information with conspiracy to deprive the citizens of St. Bernard Parish of their right to receive the honest services of Judge Cresap.

According to the bill of information, Cresap entered into an illegal agreement with lawyers Cusimano and Dauterive, in which Cresap converted secured bond obligations to unsecured personal surety bonds, allowing the releases of charged individuals on signatures, and without collateral security. The scheme would begin when the lawyer’s clients would retain them to facilitate the release of an inmate being held on a secured bond which they could not afford. The lawyers would then place a telephone call to Cresap and request that the secured bond be converted to an unsecured surety bond which allowed the inmate’s release on a mere signature. After Cresap converted the bond, allowing inmate’s release, either lawyer would make a cash payment to Cresap.

If convicted of the conspiracy offense as charged, all three defendants face a maximum prison term of five (5) years and a $250,000 fine, as well as possible restitution and supervised release.

Cresap is presently on a leave of absence from the Court and is therefore not currently sitting on the bench or ruling on judicial matters. No further details are available at this time.

The investigation is being handled by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the New Orleans Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Marcelle and Richard Pickens.

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