WBRZ - Baton Rouge

Tagged News

• Leaders talk about law dealing with chained dogs Play Video

  April 24, 2013 10:30 PM

  BATON ROUGE - For years, animal activists have called tethering dogs cruelty, and Wednesday East Baton Rouge council members introduced an ordinance that would make it illegal. "That dog is a natural social animal that wants to get out, and when you keep it on that tether, it doesn't... more »

• Illegal prescriptions making the rounds Play Video

  March 7, 2013 10:19 PM

  IBERVILLE PARISH - The use and sale of illegal prescription drugs is on the rise around the country. Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi says he's seen numbers in his parish become more prevalent than marijuana and cocaine charges. "With the easy access, you don't have to go look for... more »

• Prescription drug distribution a "serious" problem for parish Play Video

  March 7, 2013 1:16 PM

  IBERVILLE PARISH - Thursday morning, police arrested dozens of suspected drug dealers while many of them were still in their pajamas. Just before 6:30 a.m. Iberville Sheriff's deputies, Plaquemine Police and the state drug task force, L.E.A.D., began busting people for selling prescription drugs. "We're going to do... more »

• ISP: Copyright alert system meant to educate, not punish Play Video

  February 26, 2013 5:36 PM

  BATON ROUGE - In efforts to curb illegal downloading and file-sharing on-line, a number of Internet companies are initiating an educational approach to help customers understand their actions. It's called the Copyright Alert System. Providers including AT&T, Cablevision, Verizon, Time Warner and Comcast, with the help of copyright holders,... more »

• Illegal sales going on in Walker

  February 5, 2013 11:00 PM

  WALKER- Police took to social media Tuesday, warning about illegal door-to-door sales. "We have received several reports of the activity, as has the sheriff's office," the post on the Walker Police Department's Facebook read. Peddling is illegal inside city limits. "No 'permit' is available to allow anyone... more »

• Man pleads guilty to selling teen sex online

  January 28, 2013 9:42 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A 31-year-old man has been convicted of selling sex with an underage girl online. Erick Banks pled guilty Monday. Prosecutors said Banks enticed a 15-year-old to engage in acts of prostitution. Banks used ads on the website backpage.com to get clients for the teen. She... more »

• 2 accused of illegal hunting, damaging levee

  January 16, 2013 6:37 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Two Marksville men are accused of shooting deer from a levee road in LaSalle Parish and damaging the levee with their truck. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says 45-year-old Blaine McNeal and 43-year-old Keith Dauzat were booked with a charge of felony criminal damage to... more »

• Stores selling synthetic marijuana warned Play Video

  November 16, 2012 5:20 PM

  GONZALES - Ascension Parish is aggressively targeting the sale of synthetic marijuana. This comes after a number of students were sent to the hospital for using the synthetic drug. The synthetic drug is used as a marijuana-type substance, it's marketed and sold in stores as incense or potpourri. ... more »

• DHH: New synthetic drug to be banned

  November 8, 2012 5:20 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Hospitals announced today that a new synthetic drug is being added to the list of illegal substances in the state. The drug, known as 25-I, "Smiles" or "N-Bomb", is being added to the Controlled Dangerous Substance Act on... more »

• Sec. State to examine social media and ballots after election

  November 6, 2012 3:01 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Every day people share all kinds of things through social networking, from who they're with right down to what they're about to eat. People in Louisiana, though, should think twice before snapping a pic of who they voted for today. According to Louisiana law, it... more »

• Ilegal alien arrested for rape in Ascension Parish

  October 31, 2012 2:31 PM

  Prarieville- An illegal alien accused of raping a 72 year-old in Ascension Parish, is now behind bars. Deputies say the victim stayed overnight at a couple's home in Prarieville. The couple told investigators that an individual they only knew as "Jose" showed up to visit. The man of the... more »

• Web site targets distracted driving

  October 11, 2012 10:05 PM

  WASHINGTON, D.C.- Federal leaders have set-up a website devoted to distracted driving. It's meant to curtail dangerous habits. Distraction.gov features information on the forms of distracted driving. Habits that aren't illegal, alone, but in an accident could be serious. A man in Livingston Parish faces charges after a... more »

• FDA fights Web pharmacies selling unapproved drugs

  October 6, 2012 2:24 AM

  WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration is stepping up its fight against counterfeit and other potentially harmful medicine sold over the Internet. The agency is ordering operators of about 4,100 websites to immediately stop selling unapproved medications to U.S. consumers. The FDA has sent warning letters to three companies... more »

• Municipalities' taxes collected illegally

  September 19, 2012 11:01 AM

  ARCADIA- Three Bienville Parish municipalities are collecting sales taxes illegally. In recent days, officials learned the voter-approved authorizations for one-cent sales taxes collected in the municipalities of Arcadia, Gibsland and Castor have expired. And in some cases, long expired. In Gisbland, the penny sales tax should have ended in 1996.... more »

• Club raid nets more than a dozen immigration arrests

  August 20, 2012 4:51 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Police arrested 15 illegal immigrants and three others during a raid at a Baton Rouge club this weekend. Cpl. Thomas Stubbs said Baton Rouge Police, FBI, the Homeland Security along with other state and local agencies made the arrests Saturday night at The Latin Club on... more »

• Romney: 'Many' of suspect's weapons were illegal

  July 25, 2012 6:28 PM

  LONDON - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Wednesday said many of the weapons obtained by the shooting suspect in Colorado were obtained illegally and that changing laws won't prevent gun-related tragedies. But the firearms that authorities allege James Holmes used to kill 12 people in Aurora, Colo., were obtained... more »

• Columbia passes ordinance banning baggy pants

  July 10, 2012 3:41 PM

  COLUMBIA - Baggy pants are not welcome in the city of Columbia. WDAM-TV reports that the board of aldermen approved the prohibition this week. The new ordinance declares the wearing of low-hanging baggy pants to be indecent. People wearing pants, shorts or skirts that hang three inches or more below... more »

• Romney says immigration decision complicates issue

  June 15, 2012 5:32 PM

  MILFORD, N.H. - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says President Barack Obama's decision to stop deporting some younger illegal immigrants will make it harder to solve the country's larger immigration problems. He did not say he would reverse the decision if elected. Romney said Friday that that the plight of... more »

• New Obama policy will spare some from deportation

  June 15, 2012 1:46 PM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama says his plan to stop deporting younger illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children will make the system "more fair, more efficient and more just." The president says it "makes no sense to expel talented young people" who are essentially Americans. He says... more »

• Teen faces 9 murder charges

  April 16, 2012 11:56 AM

  PALMVIEW - A 15-year-old South Texas boy has been charged with nine counts of murder among other charges after a van he was driving crashed, killing nine of the suspected illegal immigrants packed inside. The boy, who is not being identified because he is a juvenile, appeared at a probable... more »

• Immigration officials arrest more than 3,100

  April 2, 2012 11:35 AM

  WASHINGTON- Federal officials say they arrested more than 3,100 immigrants convicted of serious crimes and fugitives in a six-day nationwide sweep. Officials at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement say the sweep included every state and involved more than 1,900 of the agency's officers and agents. More than 1,000 of the... more »

• Illegal Christmas bonuses? Play Video

  December 15, 2011 7:31 AM

  PORT ALLEN - The fallout from former Port Allen mayor Derek Lewis's corruption scandal has trickled down to city officials. And now, the city council has uncovered financial wrongdoings stemming back to 1994. An audit recently revealed that employees unknowingly received thousands of dollars in Christmas bonuses that... more »

• Mobile Strip Club Bus called Illegal

  September 28, 2011 7:42 PM

  Police say a mobile strip club that plowed the parking lots of Detroit Lions football games is illegal and moved to stop it from future games. Police began investigating after WDIV-TV broadcast a story about the bus this week and the Police Chief says the bus appears to be illegal.... more »

• Jindal bans bath salt ingredients

  July 13, 2011 5:56 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Governor Jindal signed House Bill 12 by Rep. Ricky Templet which makes it illegal to possess the ingredients that make up bath salts and synthetic marijuana. The law was tightened after users found a loophole. Instead of banning ingredients, the previous law outlawed the finished product... more »

• Synthetic "Dope" still for sale

  January 7, 2011 5:47 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Just one day after authorities seized thousands of dollars worth of now illegal substances known as 'bath salts,' business owners who sell other products, known as synthetic marijuana are worried if they'll be affected. The substance is similar to a product banned by the Louisiana Legislature last... more »

• Jury convicts DeLay in money laundering trial

  November 24, 2010 5:11 PM

  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay - once one of the most powerful and feared Republicans in Congress - was convicted Wednesday on charges he illegally funneled corporate money to Texas candidates in 2002. Jurors deliberated for 19 hours before returning guilty verdicts against DeLay... more »

• LDWF: Call Litterbug Hotline

  November 12, 2010 5:10 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is urging people to call their 24-hour litterbug hotline to report people throwing trash from a vehicle, trash blowing out of a pickup truck bed, or illegal trash or dump sites. Vehicular reports should include the road location and vehicle's make,... more »

• New Orleans vows to crack down on illegal vendors

  October 23, 2010 11:21 AM

  The city of New Orleans is cracking down on vendors illegally selling their wares outside the Superdome for Saints games. The city announced Friday that, starting this Sunday, police and city officials will issue a court summons to any vendor caught selling items without a city permit. The... more »

• Mortgage companies accused of 'robo-signing'

  October 13, 2010 10:08 PM

  The Attorney General's Office in Louisiana is now investigating whether mortgage companies mishandled documents and broke the law foreclosing on homes. The mortgage companies are accused of robo-signing. That’s when they fail to verify the accuracy of foreclosure documents and have them improperly notarized. It’s illegal and may be... more »

• Three La. men accused of poaching deer in Iowa

  October 12, 2010 3:06 PM

  Three men from Louisiana are facing thousands of dollars in fines after Iowa authorities say they used illegal tags and permits to hunt deer in the state. Wildlife officers filed multiple charges against Jamie Rogers of Angie, Jeffrey Talley of Baton Rouge and Michael Talley of Jennings, after several tips... more »

• Powell says illegal immigrants do his home repairs

  September 19, 2010 3:06 PM

  Former Secretary of State Colin Powell says illegal immigrants do essential work in the U.S. and he has firsthand knowledge of that - because they fix his house. Powell, a moderate Republican, urged his party Sunday to support immigration generally because it is "what's keeping this country's lifeblood moving forward."... more »

• Plaquemine man charged with illegally hunting alligators

  September 15, 2010 3:34 PM

  A hunting guide from Louisiana has been charged with illegally hunting alligators. Wednesday's federal indictment in Baton Rouge charges 36-year-old Gregory K. Dupont, of Plaquemine, with violating the Lacey Act, a wildlife protection law. Dupont is a licensed alligator hunter and owner of Louisiana Hunters Inc. The indictment accuses him... more »

• Animal shelter under investigation in north LA

  September 6, 2010 12:20 PM

  The Franklin Parish District Attorney's Office says a grand jury will consider allegations that Winnsboro's animal shelter kept dogs in illegal conditions. Prosecutors got a report in July from Louisiana State Police, who were asked to investigate by the sheriff's office because city police run the shelter. The District Attorney's... more »

• 17 admit to illegal shrimping at Sabine NWR

  September 3, 2010 10:18 AM

  The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says that 17 people have admitted catching large amounts of shrimp in the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge and selling them commercially. It says that state wildlife agents staked out the refuge after getting numerous complaints. They watched the people catch more than the... more »

• Man pleads guilty on drug, gun charges

  August 24, 2010 6:11 AM

  A Baton Rouge man has pleaded guilty to federal charges of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and illegal possession of a firearm. Jerome Scott had been released from state custody in March after serving six years in prison for aggravated battery, but he was arrested the next month... more »

• LaSalle Parish man arrested for illegal dumping

  July 21, 2010 2:16 PM

  Investigators within the Criminal Investigation Division of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality have arrested a LaSalle Parish man for illegal dumping of restaurant grease and used cooking oil into state waterways. Karl W. Doughty, of Olla, allegedly intentionally dumped grease and cooking oil from his restaurant into state... more »

• Baton Rouge charter school being investigated for litter

  July 19, 2010 10:40 PM

  A charter school in Baton Rouge is under investigation for littering. The Kenilworth Science and Technology Charter School posted recruitment signs across the south end of the parish, but parish leaders say they are illegal. Residents in the Gardere and Kenilworth areas of Baton Rouge have only found... more »

• Ex-pharmacist gets prison for prescription scam

  June 25, 2010 5:41 AM

  A former pharmacist who pleaded guilty to filling fraudulent prescriptions for an illegal Internet drug company has been sentenced to 15 months in prison. Fifty-six--year-old Paul Williams owned the Grand Couteau Prescription Shoppe in his hometown, Grand Couteau. Federal prosecutors said a Panamanian company paid Williams more than $881,000 to... more »

• Greek company to pay $1.3M in pollution case

  June 24, 2010 5:59 AM

  A Greek shipping company will pay more than $1 million in penalties and fines after one of its ships illegally discharged oil and failed to report it to authorities. Stanships Inc. of Athens, Greece, agreed to pay a $700,000 criminal penalty, a $525,000 fine and a $125,000 community service payment... more »

• Ex-pharmacist sentenced for prescription fraud

  June 23, 2010 6:40 AM

  The owner of a now-closed pharmacy in Grand Coteau has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for helping fill prescriptions for an illegal Internet drug company. Paul Williams Jr. also agreed to forfeit $200,000 that the business netted as its cut for filling thousands of illegal prescriptions for... more »

• 7 postal workers charged in N.O.

  June 18, 2010 6:48 AM

  Seven postal workers have been charged in New Orleans with stealing or illegally discarding mail. The charges announced Thursday against the seven individuals are contained in four separate indictments handed up by federal grand juries. Mail theft charges were filed against 29-year-old Deshondra Simmons, of Houma; 37-year-old Tamara Bernard, of... more »

• Iberville Parish man arrested for illegal dumping

  April 23, 2010 2:28 PM

  Investigators within the Criminal Investigation Division of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality arrested an Iberville Parish man for the alleged illegal dumping of pollutants into state waterways. Authorities say Tommy M. Francise, of Plaquemine, intentionally dumped waste glycerin into state waterways, while biodiesel was being produced at his... more »

• Allegation Vitter took illegal contribution

  April 22, 2010 8:25 PM

  A watchdog group asked the Federal Elections Commission to investigate a campaign contribution to U.S. Senator David Vitter of Louisiana saying it was illegal and unethical. Questions have swirled around a fundraiser Vitter held with executives of U.S. Dry Cleaning Corp. since the Times-Picayune newspaper reported company executives and their... more »

• Vitter accused of taking illegal campaign donations

  April 22, 2010 1:57 PM

  Senator David Vitter is being accused of accepting illegal campaign contributions. A Washington ethics watchdog group says Vitter took the donations from a California dry cleaning company that wanted federal stimulus money. No word on why the company gave to Vitter. more »

• Rescue group looking for homes for pythons

  March 23, 2010 9:45 AM

  A reptile rescue group is looking for permanent homes for 21 big pythons confiscated from a snake farm near Oakdale. The Louisiana Association of Reptile Keepers says many are 16 to 19 feet long and seem healthy. Allen Parish deputies arrested David and Tammi Beauchemin - owners of High... more »

• Couple cited for illegal possession of pythons

  March 22, 2010 11:14 AM

  An Oakdale couple was cited by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents have cited for allegedly possessing pythons without a permit. The Allen Parish Sheriff's Office searched the home of David Beauchemin and Tawni Beauchemin after complaints alleging the Beauchemin's were illegally selling animals on the... more »

• La. man arrested in illegal dumping case

  February 19, 2010 5:09 AM

  The director of a company that operates several wastewater treatment facilities in Louisiana has been arrested on charges he allowed untreated wastewater to be illegally dumped. Joseph L. Jones of Opelousas faces 12 felony charges involving alleged violations of Plaisance Development Corp.'s water discharge permits. Jones was arrested at his... more »

• Teacher union claims illegal activities

  October 1, 2009 10:20 AM

  A teacher union filed complaints with state authorities claiming a California company that recruits Filipino teachers to work at schools in East Baton Rouge, Caddo and Jefferson Parishes and New Orleans is operating illegally in the state. The Louisiana Federation of Teachers says the teachers were cheated out of... more »