Lake Charles LA Criminal Defense Law Blog

Obtaining indecent material involving children over the Internet is considered a serious crime throughout the country. The proliferation of social media websites and other Internet tools can make it easier for some to obtain these materials. When a court finds that a criminal offense has occurred, a resulting Internet crimes conviction can expose the individual to many years of incarceration.

Recently, a Louisiana man from Natchitoches pleaded guilty in Alexandria to a federal crime that included obtaining child pornography over the Internet. A sentence enhancement due to prior convictions means the individual will be sentenced to anywhere between 15 and 40 years, together with a fine up to $250,000. After receiving and accepting the man's guilty plea, the court set a sentencing date of Aug. 7.

On April 2, a Lake Charles car burglary was reported to the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office. The owner of the car noticed that two guns were missing from his vehicle, which had been unlocked at the time of the alleged thefts. Although no reasons for their conclusion were given, police officers linked a local 17-year-old to the burglary, and he was then charged with a crime in connection with the incident.

The detained teenager was already incarcerated at the Calcasieu Correctional Center after a previous arrest by the Lake Charles Police Department in connection with an alleged home burglary. In regards to the vehicle burglary, he was charged with two counts of firearm theft as well as simple burglary from a vehicle.

Several new bills have been proposed by the Louisiana legislature that could impact the way that those who have been convicted of a crime are sentenced. The bills have passed through the Louisiana House and were recently sent to the Senate. For those who have been charged with a crime, the new laws could provide clarification as to sentences that can be imposed against them if they are convicted.

The first bill that has been sent to the Louisiana Senate would increase the proposed penalties for those convicted of identity theft. Currently, those who are convicted of identity theft face fines and potential prison time. These penalties could be increased if the person accused of the crime is in a so-called position of trust. The $1,000 increase in fines would apply to those who are employed by hospitals, schools, clinics and other similar institutions.

St. Tammany police say that a Louisiana man has been arrested and charged in the shooting death of his older brother. According to reports, the man was at his 23-year-old brother's St. Tammany Parish home trying to help him recover from a drug addiction. When the older brother found out that his sibling had been discussing his addiction with his wife via text, he was said to have begun trashing his home and woke up his younger brother. He also began loading a shotgun, which may have prompted the younger man to fatally shoot the victim with a handgun he had brought into the home. The younger brother now standscharged with a crime.

The younger brother was arrested at the scene and charged with a crime of second-degree murder. Police suggest there may have been substances, including marijuana and bath salts, involved in the crime, though further information on that claim was not detailed. They are awaiting the report of the County Coroner to confirm or refute those suspicions.