A Slidell resident, Bryant Brown, 58, has been indicted on charges of injuring government property and violating the federal Clean Water Act. The indictment was announced by United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
Court documents state that between March 2025 and June 12, 2025, Brown allegedly discharged pollutants onto the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge. The pollution reportedly caused more than $1,000 in property damage. The Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge is recognized as the largest urban wildlife refuge in the United States and covers almost 30,000 acres of wetlands.
If convicted for injuring government property, Brown could face up to ten years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. For violating the Clean Water Act, he faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison, a fine ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 per day of violation, up to one year of supervised release, and another mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle stated: "An indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt."
Courcelle also commended several agencies for their roles in investigating the case: "the Environmental Protection Agency-Criminal Investigation Division, the Environmental Protection Agency-Office of Inspector General, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the United States Customs and Border Protection." Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans from the General Crimes Unit is prosecuting.
