Louisiana Sheriff Resigns Following Guilty Plea for Assault
Randy Smith, a suburban sheriff who had served as a prominent political figure in his community for ten years, retired shortly after pleading guilty to assaulting a podcaster who frequently criticized him.
Smith, 61, agreed to more than a year of probation after admitting to an assault that occurred in late May at a steakhouse where he had consumed 18 alcoholic beverages on his tab during a Friday afternoon. This incident effectively ended his nearly 40-year career in law enforcement.
Smith was sworn in as the elected sheriff of St. Tammany Parish on July 1, 2016, succeeding a predecessor who later pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges and was separately convicted of serial child sexual molestation.
As sheriff, Smith led the law enforcement agency responsible for operating the local jail and patrolling neighborhoods in an area with approximately 280,000 residents, located about 50 miles north of New Orleans. He was well into his third four-year term when on May 29, he visited Keith Young’s Steakhouse in Madisonville, St. Tammany, and encountered Bobby Couvillion, a local social media personality, according to state investigators.
Couvillion, who blogs and podcasts on local issues, had been a frequent critic of Smith, accusing the sheriff of corruption and incompetence. On that day, Smith reportedly approached Couvillion from behind while the latter was seated on an elevated stool at the restaurant bar celebrating his 59th birthday with his wife. Authorities later alleged that Smith placed Couvillion in a chokehold and slammed him backward to the ground without warning.
Citing victim and eyewitness accounts, Smith was also reported to have punched Couvillion and kicked him with his boots while he was on the ground. Couvillion reported Smith said,
“I’m going to kill you, you motherfucker. You’re a dead motherfucker.”
Deputies from Smith’s office were the first to respond to multiple emergency calls from inside the restaurant reporting the assault. However, the sheriff’s office recused itself from the investigation once it became clear that Smith was the suspect. The Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (LBI) then took over the case.
LBI agents interviewed bystanders and reviewed surveillance footage. They stated in a sworn affidavit that Couvillion was transported to a hospital where medical records confirmed he sustained a concussion and two displaced front teeth.
The agents also noted that Smith and his party’s $346 tab included five glasses of wine, four vodka martinis, eight vodkas, and one gin.
Smith was arrested on June 4 on charges including second-degree battery and two counts of disturbing the peace. Additionally, bail bondsman Gregory Saurage was arrested for allegedly identifying Couvillion to Smith and encouraging the assault. Investigators’ sworn statements also allege that Saurage drove Smith away from the scene in an office vehicle at Smith’s request.
After posting a $10,000 bond, Smith issued a written apology to his constituents that did not name Couvillion but clearly referred to him, stating,
“I have ignored hundreds of personal attacks directed at me by an individual who hides behind a computer screen. His actions were direct and intentional.”
Several local judges recused themselves from presiding over Smith’s case. On Wednesday, Smith appeared before St. Tammany state judge Reginald Badeaux and agreed to plead guilty to felony second-degree battery and misdemeanor disturbing the peace by public intoxication. In exchange, he received between 15 and 18 months of probation.
Smith also announced his retirement effective that afternoon, concluding a career that spanned 33 years at the St. Tammany sheriff’s office.
St. Tammany District Attorney Collin Sims stated that Smith’s resignation was a condition of his plea agreement with prosecutors. Smith said his decision to retire came after “much thought and consideration.”
Smith previously served as chief of police in Slidell, a city within St. Tammany, for six years beginning in 2010. He indicated that his chief deputy, Bret Ibert, would serve as acting sheriff temporarily.
In a statement, Ibert said his focus was on providing,
“stability, continuity, and leadership”
until voters could elect Smith’s successor.
The incoming sheriff will oversee an agency with a fiscal surplus of $60 million projected by the end of June 2025. Local officials expressed hope that Smith’s retirement would positively influence an upcoming ballot measure scheduled for Saturday, which asks parish voters to renew a tax generating over $13 million annually for the sheriff’s office.
District Attorney Sims told reporters that Smith’s guilty plea serves as a public reminder that,
“everyone will be held accountable for their actions, regardless of your title. We didn’t want to have special treatment of the sheriff. We treat him like we treat every other citizen that commits an act like that.”
Five years prior, Sims had secured child rape convictions against former longtime St. Tammany sheriff Jack Strain, resulting in a life sentence.
Couvillion issued a statement on Wednesday expressing gratitude that,
“justice was not swept under the rug simply because of who was involved.”
Katie Moore and Danny Monteverde of reporting partner WWL Louisiana contributed to this report.
