Just Another Corrupt Public Official

Judge: Felony excludes candidate

State District Judge Marilyn Castle ruled Ernal “E.J.” Broussard’s August 2005 felony conviction in federal court for aiding and abetting an illegal gambling business disqualifies him from seeking office as councilman for District B.

Broussard pleaded guilty to the charge in August 2005 and the court sentenced him in December 2005 to serve six months of home confinement with electronic monitoring, given two years’ probation and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.

Broussard served as a Vermilion Parish police juror from 2000 until his resignation in 2005.

According to court records, Broussard, through his Abbeville business, Package Liquor Exchange, cashed checks for Phillip Mazella, who was operating an illegal gambling business, from Oct. 1, 1998, to about Oct. 1, 2003.

The checks Broussard processed were the result of an illegal bookmaking operation and millions of dollars flowed through his business, which was not licensed by the state as a money-transmitting or checkcashing business, court records show.