LIBERTY — Two Louisiana men held in connection with a year-long crimewave that included multiple burglaries, arsons and the destruction of property in the Gillsburg area received 20-year sentences in Amite County Circuit Court on Wednesday.
Anthony White of Roseland was charged with four counts of felony mischief and eight counts of burglary. Robert Brashier of Ethel was charged with a total of 22 counts, all either burglary, felony malicious mischief or arson.
Circuit Judge Lillie Sanders also ordered both White and Brashier to pay a third of the $26,000 in restitution fees and said the final five years of their sentences could be suspended.
Taylor Bordelon of Greensburg, La., who was convicted on 22 counts in connection with some of the same crimes in April, is also serving 20 years. He is responsible for paying the other third of the restitution. His crimes included the arsons of a county-owned tractor, a box trailer, hay barn and a skidder, and the burglaries of multiple homes and other pieces of equipment, including a county road grader and a helicopter.
White’s attorney, Nelson Estess, argued keeping his client out of prison and giving him supervised release instead would allow him to pay back the damages he caused sooner.
Sheriff’s investigator Danny Meaux testified that White was cooperative, but only after being told he had been caught.
“Once we brought him in and I advised him what we had, he turned around and started giving evidence on the others,” Meaux said.
Longtime family friend Tonya McKinney and Pastor Matthew Booty served as character witnesses for White and said he’d be unlikely to commit similar crimes in the future.
Victims, including Rhett Anderson, Duke Kent and Heather Day, asked for both men to receive lengthy sentences.
“I don’t believe you are sorry for anything you’ve done,” Anderson said. “You’re only sorry for getting caught. Sorry and remorse go hand in hand.
“You continued to wreak havoc on our peaceful community for over a year. If you were sorry, after the first, second offense, you would have mended your ways.”
White and Brashier, who was represented by attorney Gus Sermos, apologized to the victims.
“I apologize for doing whatever happened and I promise you that it won’t happen again, and I’m truly sorry,” White said.
Brashier said his father dying in 2016 had an impact on him and his bad choices. “There is no excuse for anything I’ve done. I apologize for everything,” he said.
Prosecutor Barbara Bluntson said White was not forthcoming.
“He was not cooperative until he saw his back was up against the wall,” she said. “Just like today, his back is up against the wall. He is facing a sentence from you (Sanders) and he now is being remorseful.”
Sanders said it took “mitigated gall” for White to ask not to have any jail time and referred to Anderson’s comment about the number of acts in the crime spree.
“But when you come back and just keep doing it and keep doing it, it is no mistake,” Sanders said. “It’s like it was personal that you all were trying to inflict damage.”
