Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Charged With Obstruction of Justice, Perjury, Conversion and Other Crimes; Former Task Force Officer Also Charged

A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agent was charged in an indictment unsealed yesterday with obstruction of justice, perjury, falsifying records in a federal investigation, seeking and receiving an illegal gratuity, conversion of property by an officer or employee of the United States and removing property to prevent seizure and conspiracy.  A former DEA task force officer was also charged.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey S. Sallet of the FBI’s New Orleans Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Monte Cason of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General’s (DOJ-OIG) Dallas Field Office and Chief Inspector Brian M. McKnight of the DEA’s Office of Professional Responsibility (DEA-OPR) made the announcement.

Chad A. Scott, 49, of Covington, Louisiana, the DEA special agent, and Rodney P. Gemar, 41, of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, the former task force officer, were charged in an indictment returned on Sept. 29, in the Eastern District of Louisiana.  Scott is charged with three counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of perjury, one count of falsifying records in a federal investigation, one count of seeking and receiving an illegal gratuity, one count of unlawful conversion of property by a government officer or employee, one count of removing property to prevent seizure and one count of conspiracy to commit conversion to remove property to prevent seizure.  Gemar is charged with two counts of unlawful conversion of property by a government officer or employee, two counts of removing property to prevent seizure and two counts of conspiracy to commit conversion and to remove property to prevent seizure.   According to the indictment, Scott, Gemar and their co-conspirators committed these offenses while serving with the New Orleans Division of the DEA.

Specifically, the indictment alleges that Scott committed obstruction of justice and perjury in connection with a January 2016 trial in the Eastern District of Louisiana, misappropriated the personal property of individuals who were arrested by the New Orleans Division of the DEA and falsified documentation relating to the seizure of a Ford pick-up truck. The indictment further alleges that Gemar also misappropriated personal property from individuals detained by the DEA, as well as money seized from an individual detained by local law enforcement.

Gemar currently serves as a police officer with the Hammond, Louisiana Police Department.

Former DEA task force officer Karl Emmett Newman, 50, of Kentwood, Louisiana, was also charged with numerous offenses in a separate May 13, 2016 indictment and in an Oct. 7, 2016 superseding indictment.  Newman pleaded guilty on July 20, to unlawfully possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and conspiring to misappropriate money seized by the DEA during the execution of a search.  Former DEA task force officer Johnny Jacob Domingue, 28, of Maurepas, Louisiana, was arrested on a criminal complaint on May 12, 2016, and was also charged in an Oct. 7, 2016 superseding indictment with falsifying records in a federal investigation.  Domingue’s case remains pending. Chad Scott’s detention hearing will take place on Oct. 3 at 2:00 p.m. CDT.

The charges and allegations contained in an indictment are only accusations.  The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This case was initiated by the Louisiana State Police and investigated by the FBI, DOJ-OIG, DEA-OPR and LSP.  Assistant Chief Diidri Robinson and Trial Attorney Antonio Pozos of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.