Former Grand Coteau Police Chief Jeffrey Guilbeau pleaded guilty to three felonies in court today.
Guilbeau pleaded guilty to two counts of malfeasance in office and one count obstruction of justice, according to the St. Landry Parish District Attorney's Office. He accepted responsibility for what he did, a spokesperson for the DA's office said.
He was sentenced to two years in prison; that sentence was suspended and he was placed on one year of active supervised probation. During that year, he will continue with counseling he has been receiving; he already has undergone a psychological evaluation.
UPDATE: We've received a statement from District Attorney Chad Pitre. He says Guilbeau was arrested for distribution of marijuana, theft, obstruction and malfeasance on July 13, 2023, after he took marijuana seized as evidence and gave it to a woman.
Pitre said the case is important because “holding public officials accountable for their wrongdoing is key to restoring the people’s faith in all of us that have the privilege of serving as a public official.”
Guilbeau resigned last year after he was arrested. As a convicted felon, he won't be working in law enforcement again, according to the DA's office.
Last summer, Guilbeau was arrested by St. Landry Parish Sheriff's deputies after receiving tips via Crime Stoppers about a person who was using and dealing drugs with him.
Narcotics detectives did surveillance on the location that the tipsters gave, and saw Guilbeau arrive there in a marked police unit, deputies said at the time. The detectives went to the house and talked to Guilbeau and the woman, and then Guilbeau was taken to the sheriff's office for questioning; where he allegedly confessed. Deputies booked him on eight charges, but he was formally charged with only four. He pleaded guilty to three of those today. The fourth charge was dismissed.
