Former New Iberia City Marshal Haywood “Tony” Migues pleaded guilty Tuesday afternoon to eight counts of obstruction of court records the day after tendering his resignation from the city marshal’s post to the Louisiana Secretary of State. 

Migues entered an open-ended plea, meaning that he had not negotiated a sentence prior to entering the plea.

In sentencing Migues, 16th Judicial District Court Judge Anthony Saleme broke the eight charges into two groups. On the first four counts, he sentenced Migues to one year on each count, to run concurrently, but suspended. He also sentenced Migues to 90 days house arrest with an ankle monitoring bracelet as well as two years of probation. 

Migues will also have to pay $1,000 in court costs, a $250 fee to the 16th JODC District Attorney’s Office, and 120 hours of community service to the city of New Iberia.

On the second four counts, Saleme imposed the same sentence, to run consecutive with the first, except without the 90 day house arrest. So Migues will serve 90 days of house arrest and four years of probation in total, with a year of jail time pending if he violates the terms of his probation.

Under the state statute for obstruction of court records, the maximum sentence Migues faced on each count was one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

In a prepared statement, Migues’ attorney Richard Spears said that his client did not have to resign from office, but did so because it was in the best interest of the city of New Iberia and the Marshal’s Office.

“Though he violated the law, he is thankful that no one was actually harmed due to his zeal,” Spears wrote. “At no time did he personally benefit from these acts, nor is he accused of doing so.”

Because more than a year remains in Migues’ term of office, a special election will have to be held to fill the unexpired portion of his term. That election will likely occur on Oct. 9.

Migues was arrested on eight counts each of malfeasance in office, injuring public documents and forgery on Feb. 4. The arrest came after a month-long Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigation probe into Migues’ handling of subpoena service documents. The investigation began in January as detectives received information alleging Migues had forged multiple signatures on official court documents.

Migues gained the marshal’s office in a special election in 2019 to replace longtime City Marshal Vic Delcambre, who died in December 2018. Migues won reelection to his first full term in office in 2020.