WHAT TO LOOK FOR AS SAINTS HOLD FIRST ORGANIZED TEAM ACTIVITIES 1C
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T h u r s d ay, M ay 22, 2025
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Archdiocese, abuse victims reach deal
Settlement calls for church to pay nearly $180 million BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer
The Archdiocese of New Orleans has reached a tentative settlement with hundreds of survivors of clergy sex abuse in its long-running bankruptcy case, agreeing to pay nearly $180 million in an effort to end the court battle that has con-
sumed the local Roman Catholic Church for the past five years. According to a news release issued Wednesday by the court-appointed committee that negotiated the deal on behalf of some 600 survivors, the archdiocese, its parishes and affiliated charities, and three of its four insurers would pay $179.2 million into a trust to
benefit survivors, an amount that would be distributed after the church emerges from bankruptcy. Money for the settlement would come from a variety of sources. The archdiocese, its 110 parishes and charitable organizations would all contribute funds, and additional money would come from the sale of church-owned real estate.
It would be paid to a trust and then distributed to survivors, who would stand to receive around $300,000 each if the funds were divided evenly. The figure does not include money that would come from the sale of Christopher Homes, a portfolio of 15 apartment complexes for low-income seniors that is for sale and has been estimated by one interested buyer to be worth as much as $150 million.
Search for escapees continues
Also not included in the settlement amount is a contribution from the remaining insurance carrier that is not party to the agreement. The news release indicates that the agreement would give survivors the legal right to file their own lawsuits against the company, which is not identified in the release. If finalized, the settlement would
ä See DEAL, page 4A
2025 LEGISLATURE
State revenue on the rise
Economists increase forecast by $139M for next year’s budget BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
didn’t know what was going on.” Within a half hour, however, police dispersed without making an arrest, presumably moving on to the next lead. Corvanntay Baptiste, 38, of Slidell, and Cortnie Harris, 32, New Orleans, were booked into the Plaquemines Parish jail early Wednesday morning on a felony count each of accessory after the fact. Harris is accused of transporting two escapees who are still on the run to multiple locations in New Orleans, State Police said. Investigators also allege she used a phone to stay in contact with an at-large escapee before the jailbreak. Police did not name the escapees she aided. Investigators said Baptiste was in contact with 19-year-old Corey Boyd, who was found and arrested Tuesday night, before he fled the jail. She also helped get
Louisiana lawmakers learned Wednesday that they will have $139 million more to spend on next year’s budget after economists said the state’s revenue outlook is in a bit better shape than previously forecast. The state will also have an additional $130 million to spend during the current fiscal year that ends June 30, under a new official forecast approved by the Revenue Estimating Conference, a group of state leaders that approves official revenue projections which form the basis of spending plans built by lawmakers. The additional funding could be spent on next year’s budget in any number of ways, potentially including economic development initiatives, criminal justice system improvements, infrastructure, or restoring a statewide tutoring program that was recently removed from the latest version of the budget. Greg Albrecht, the state economist who compiled the projections approved Wednesday, said the underlying base of the economy — which includes factors like income and employment — “is just a little bit stronger than expected.” Discussions about economic un-
ä See SEARCH, page 4A
ä See REVENUE, page 4A
STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER
Residents step out onto their front steps to watch police and law enforcement personnel search for an escaped Orleans Parish prisoner in the 3600 block of Fourth Street on Wednesday. Five of the 10 inmates who escaped last week remain at large.
Two people arrested, accused of aiding some of the fugitives BY MISSY WILKINSON and JUSTIN MITCHELL Staff writers
Six days after 10 inmates staged a brazen escape from the Orleans Parish jail, half of them remained at large as multiple law enforcement agencies continued to sweep the city and the court system began processing those already captured. Louisiana State Police arrested two women accused of aiding some of the men after their escape, and the five in custody as of Wednesday afternoon were ordered held without bail for being an “obvious
flight risk.” In Central City, an increasingly familiar ritual played out as rifle-toting state troopers and armored vehicles arrived as the sun set in an attempt to flush out one of five remaining fugitives. The previous night saw a successful apprehension in the 1400 block of Iberville Street, followed by a false alarm in St. Roch that sent helicopter searchlights roving and drones surveilling the neighborhood well into the night. Residents watched from nearby sidewalks and doorsteps Wednesday as officers poured into their neighborhood in a show of force. “‘Come outside, we have you surrounded’ — I heard that; it spooked me,” said Central City resident Shaina Sanabria. “All of a sudden (troopers) came from everywhere. Everywhere. One lady had an AK-47. My heart dropped, for real. I
Feds indict former head of Louisiana wildlife department Montoucet charged in corruption probe out of Lafayette
dicted Wednesday on charges that he participated in a lucrative kickback scheme involving a state contract for online courses to resolve wildlife citations, an arrangement that unfolded over several years before unraveling in 2023. BY CLAIRE TAYLOR The charges, filed in Louisiana’s and SAM KARLIN Western District, had been expectStaff writers ed for months. Montoucet, along Jack Montoucet, a former sec- with Assistant District Attorney retary of the state Department and Lafayette city prosecutor of Wildlife and Fisheries, was in- Gary Haynes, was described —
WEATHER HIGH 89 LOW 73 PAGE 8B
but not identified by name — in the March 23, 2023, guilty plea of Dusty Guidry, who handled pretrial diversion programs for the district attorneys in Lafayette and Baton Rouge. Guidry was also a gubernatorial appointee to the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, a volunteer board that helps set state policy on some outdoors issues. The grand jury, which met in Lafayette federal court Wednesday,
mediately return a message seekreturned an indictment charging ing comment Wednesday. Montoucet with Haynes, 66, of Lafayette, was one count of conindicted by a federal grand jury in September and charged with spiracy to commit conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery and wire bribery, using his cellphone in furfraud, three counts of wire fraud and Montoucet therance of bribery, conspiracy one count of conto commit money laundering and spiracy to commit money launder- obstruction of justice. The indictment of Guidry and ing. Don Cazayoux, an attorney repä See INDICT, page 5A resenting Montoucet, did not im-
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12TH yEAR, NO. 283