LAFAYETTE — Jack Montoucet, the former secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, pleaded not guilty in his first day in court for his alleged role in a kickback scheme involving a statewide department contract, The Advocate reported Thursday.

Montoucet, 77, pleaded not guilty conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud charges he was indicted on in May. The former LDWF head could face up to $1 million in fines and prison time.

Montoucet was released Thursday on a $15,000 unsecured bond and ordered to surrender his passport, restrict his travel to the United States and turn in any weapons he owns, the paper reported.

A former state legislator, Montoucet was appointed to head LDWF in January 2017 by former Gov. John Bel Edwards. He resigned abruptly in April 2023 after it came to light that he allegedly conspired with two people, LDWF Commissioner Dusty J. Guidry and business owner Leonard C. Franques IV, from May 2020 to June 2022 to make money for themselves using the agency's authority.

Franques owned two businesses that provided online educational courses to be used by LDWF and were created in 2020. 

A grand jury accused the trio of conspiring to award state contracts to Franques' companies, and then Montoucet and Guidry received kickbacks. The indictment said Montoucet made $122,507.96 off the scheme. 

If convicted, Montoucet could face up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the conspiracy charge. For the three wire fraud charges, he faces up to 20 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and five years of supervised release. He also faces up to 20 years in prison, $500,000 in fines and five years of supervised release for the conspiracy to commit money laundering charge.