Final person on trial in connection with beating and threatening witness in 2021 drug probe
The last of eight people faces trial for the January 2021 beating and threatening of a witness in a Chauvin narcotics investigation.
Terrebonne Parish Prosecutor Jason Lyons alleged that Christopher Raymond Diano caused the attack through text messages alleging the witness went to the police. The trial is taking place at the Terrebonne Parish Courthouse, and is presided over by Judge David Arceneaux.
Diano is being defended by Attorney Teresa King, and faces the charge of Inciting a Felony, which carries the potential of a $1,000 fine and/or imprisonment of no more than two years with or without hard labor.
The witness's name is withheld to protect the person's identity.
The charges stem from video footage taken of the group beating, humiliating, and threatening to kill the witness. Diano was not in the footage.
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"When I walked in the room and saw everyone, I knew something was different," the witness said. "He took me to the bathroom and told me to throw my phone in the bathtub."
The "he," identified by the witness was Corey James Leblanc who pled guilty to second-degree kidnapping and was sentenced to 25 years in prison with hard labor.
The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office Narcotics Division was already investigating members of the group, according to court records. Once authorities got the footage, they contacted the witness and obtained warrants for the group.
Two videos were taken of the incident and in both, the group accused the witness of going to the cops. Footage showed the witness receiving multiple blows to the face over the six-minute run time. The witness said it continued for about an hour.
A second video showed the group in what appeared to be an attempt at humiliating the witness by cutting their hair with a knife as the witness sat covering their face.
Four others pleaded guilty to the charges stemming from the footage: Magen Nicole Dardar and Chellsey Nicole Leblanc pled guilty to simple kidnapping and intimidating a witness; Al James Leboeuf pled guilty to second-degree battery and intimidating a witness; and Blaize Adam Luke pled guilty to obstruction of justice and intimidating a witness.
Charges were dropped against Brooke Elodie Stewart and Chad Paul Trahan.
This article originally appeared on The Courier: Final person on trial in connection with 2021 drug probe witness beating
