Former nurse practitioner arrested in Alexandria gets prison in deal, surrenders license
A former psychiatric nurse practitioner accused of trading drugs and cash for sex pleaded guilty to reduced charges Monday, surrendering his license as part of the deal.
Mark Damian DeClouet, 42, will report to jail to begin a two-year sentence with the Louisiana Department of Corrections on July 24.
He was before 9th Judicial District Court Judge Patricia Koch on Monday morning, the date set for him either to agree to a plea deal or set a date for trial on seven felony charges.
DeClouet had been arrested in February 2022 by the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office, accused of paying men to bring him females for sex, according to a news release at the time.
"This was a gentlemen who was supposed to be helping people with their problems, their issues," said Sheriff Mark Wood during a press conference after his arrest. "Instead, he was taking advantage of them."
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DeClouet was formally charged in October 2022 with three counts of criminal conspiracy, three counts of distribution of a controlled dangerous substance III and one count of human trafficking.
He pleaded guilty to three charges, all reduced but still felonies.
Koch sentenced him to five years at hard labor on one count of obtaining a controlled dangerous substance by fraud and two years at hard labor on each charge of possession of a controlled dangerous substance II and possession of a controlled dangerous substance III.
He agreed to surrender his license to practice and agreed to accept whatever decision the Louisiana Board of Nursing might render in his case.
The remaining charges — one each of human trafficking, criminal conspiracy and distribution of a controlled dangerous substance III — were dropped, said Rapides Parish Assistant District Attorney Charles Johnson.
In May 2022, DeClouet had agreed to abide by the board's order to suspend his registered nurse and advanced practice registered nurse licenses pending the completion of the criminal investigation.
DeClouet had practiced in Arizona, as well as in Lafayette and Rapides parishes. He also dabbled in politics in Lafayette Parish.
When he was arrested, law enforcement suspected there could be more victims than they knew about, so Wood and Grant Parish Sheriff Steven McCain urged any other potential victims to come forward.
Law enforcement had received complaints about him in November 2021, and he was stopped by agents with the Rapides Area Drug Enforcement Unit (RADE) as he allegedly was enroute to distribute suboxone films. A search warrant served at his Alexandria home found that drug, along with fentanyl, meth and drug paraphernalia.
Because of the plea deal, DeClouet cannot appeal his sentence. His New Orleans-based attorney, Craig Mordock, said he was reserving the right to come back to court after rules for credit on time served for good behavior change on Aug. 1.
Currently, inmates convicted of non-violent offenses can get 13 days of credit for every week of good behavior.
DeClouet will report to a Rapides Parish jail facility on July 24 to begin his sentence. He requested to serve it in Lafayette Parish. Koch did recommend that, but the Department of Corrections will make the final determination.
This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Mark DeClouet gets 2 years in deal that sees him surrender NP license
