The gist: If it seems like we’ve been here before, it’s because we have. The big difference is this time we had a federal trial and got to see — and hear — the evidence. A lot of incriminating wiretap recordings were played for the jurors.
Gary Haynes, a prosecutor in 15th Judicial District Attorney Don Landry’s office, faces decades behind bars if convicted on all counts: conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, using his cell phone in furtherance of bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and obstruction of justice.
After closing arguments Thursday morning, a jury of 12 will decide his fate.
It wasn’t but a decade ago that five people inside the DA’s office were sentenced in federal court. Staff members of then-District Attorney Mike Harson, including his longtime secretary Barna Haynes, were sentenced for their roles in a pay-for-plea scheme involving defendants charged with driving under the influence.
A private eye ran the scheme from inside the DA’s office. The private investigator, who billed himself “Secret Cajun Man,” copped a plea of his own and was ultimately sentenced to 6.5 years in prison.
Now, in September 2025, Gary Haynes, Barna’s husband, is fighting for his freedom in federal court amid a bribery conspiracy that closely mirrors the one that ensnared his wife, but spared both Gary and Harson. The two were investigated but never charged. In transcripts of FBI wiretaps for the current case, Gary implicated Harson and revealed detailed knowledge about what was happening in the earlier scandal.
Despite his connection to that scandal, current DA Don Landry brought Haynes back into his office. The previous DA, Keith Stutes, who defeated Harson in 2014, had kicked Haynes out. Landry hired him back as soon as he took office.
Stutes, the change agent, proved but a blip on the scene. He did not seek re-election, opening the door for Landry — who is tight with Harson — and thereby paving the way for the next scandal.
Haynes worked his tail off to get Landry elected in 2020. His uncanny ability to bring together money, people and power on campaigns clearly endeared him to Landry, who — despite repeated warnings from close allies that Haynes could spell trouble for him — had a favor to repay.
Within eight months of Haynes back in the office, the FBI’s “Operation Cajun Hustle” was underway. Three men have pleaded guilty in the bribery conspiracy, which included felony and misdemeanor cases, and agreed to testify against Haynes. Only the mastermind, pretrial diversion consultant Dusty Guidry, took the stand.
Wiretap recordings were the prosecution’s best witness. Haynes told his alleged co-conspirators not to talk on the phone (because the feds were likely listening) and advised them to delete text messages.
“We don’t talk about this sh*t on the phone,” Haynes said. He also mentioned the specific truck he wanted a vendor to buy him, “safer to do a truck rather than cash,” he said, while acknowledging the illegality of the transaction.
“I have to work this in a subtle way,” Haynes said of pushing defendants to the vendor’s services.
Landry’s own role has been a frequent topic in court. Haynes’ attorney deflected blame to his client’s boss in cross-examination early in the trial. Testimony has raised questions about Landry’s judgment:
- Put Haynes in charge of administering an easy-to-manipulate program and failed to put safeguards in place or exercise any oversight.
- Heard rumors about kickbacks and took Haynes’ word that it wasn’t happening in the 15th JDC.
- Learned that one of the vendors, Joe Prejean, was shaking defendants down for tens of thousands of dollars and asked Haynes to look into it. Landry never followed up.
- Confirmed Prejean was doing favors for a pretrial coordinator but took no action against the employee or Prejean.
- Allowed Guidry to continue working for the office after the pretrial consultant’s drug arrest.
Meanwhile, Landry, 78, plans to seek a second term next year. He was granted limited immunity in the current trial and testified for the prosecution.
Landry will have at least one opponent, he acknowledged in court testimony. That opponent is District Judge Kristian Earles, who has been sitting in the courtroom observing the case. Earles tendered his resignation from the bench, effective Nov. 30.
As he awaits his fate, Haynes remains an ADA on leave without pay.