Cleve Dunn Jr. Indicted: CATS Fraud, Millage Count, Council Seat

Cleve Dunn Jr., who represents District 6 on the East Baton Rouge Metropolitan Council, was indicted by a grand jury on January 28, 2026, on nine felony counts tied to an alleged scheme to steer a Capital Area Transit System consulting contract to a company he secretly controlled. The counts include public bribery, theft of more than $25,000, money laundering, public contract fraud, criminal conspiracy, malfeasance in office, and prohibited splitting of profits, fees, or commissions.¹ He turned himself in, was booked on January 31, and was released the same day on a $25,000 bond.²

What the Indictment Alleges

Prosecutors say that between August 2021 and February 2022, Dunn worked with Pearlina Thomas, then Chief Administrative Officer of the Capital Area Transit System (CATS), and contractor Jarian “Jay” Colar to funnel a $50,000 consulting contract to a firm called Supreme Solutions LLC. Dunn was the original registered owner of Supreme Solutions and transferred it to Colar in what Colar himself described as a move done for “optics.”³

Thomas had authority to sign off on contracts worth $50,000 or less without CATS board oversight. She approved the Supreme Solutions deal, and CATS paid the firm $50,000 in three installments between September 2021 and February 2022. Bank records cited in the indictment show that roughly $45,000 was then moved to Core Group, a company owned by Dunn.³ FBI and Louisiana Attorney General investigators found little evidence that the consulting work described in Colar’s contract was performed. The report Colar turned in to CATS was found to be plagiarized from a Canadian transportation expert.⁴

Investigators also pointed to Dunn’s role in approving the 2021 CATS operating budget, which set aside $550,000 for the agency. Louisiana law bars public officials from using their influence to secure spending that benefits themselves or affiliated organizations.³

The Millage Promotion Count

A separate count alleges Dunn and Thomas illegally spent taxpayer money to promote a CATS millage on the ballot. Louisiana law prohibits using public funds to urge voters to support or oppose a ballot proposition.¹ Prosecutors allege a $50,000 contract labeled as a “COVID-19 Mitigation Research Grant,” awarded to Terral “TJ” Jackson Jr. and Erica Jackson, was actually used to rally public support for the millage vote.⁵

Who Else Was Charged

Dunn is one of five people charged in the CATS investigation. The others were indicted in the weeks before him.

Pearlina Thomas, the former CATS Chief Administrative Officer, was indicted January 15, 2026 on criminal conspiracy, theft, prohibited use of public funds, and malfeasance in office. Her bond was set at $20,000.⁶
Jarian “Jay” Colar was indicted the same day on criminal conspiracy and theft over $25,000. After receiving a federal grand jury subpoena, he gave the FBI some information but allegedly withheld a key August 2021 text exchange in which Thomas appeared to acknowledge that a CATS supervisor did not know about the invoice arrangement.⁴
Terral “TJ” Jackson Jr. and Erica Jackson were indicted January 21, 2026, each charged with theft of $25,000 or more and conspiracy. Erica Jackson is listed in secretary of state filings as the owner of Broad Innovation Marketing Firm, which Thomas approved invoices to totaling more than $49,000.⁷

Arrest and Bond

The grand jury returned the indictment while Dunn was in Washington, D.C. He surrendered after returning to Baton Rouge, was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on January 31, 2026, and was released the same day on $25,000 bond.⁸

Does He Stay on the Metro Council?

Yes, for now. Dunn continues to serve on the East Baton Rouge Metro Council and has not been suspended. Under Louisiana law, automatic suspension from office applies on a felony conviction, not on indictment. When a conviction becomes final, the officer is removed; if the conviction is overturned on appeal, the officer is reinstated with back pay.⁹ The Louisiana Constitution also allows impeachment for the “commission of or conviction for a felony” by a two-thirds vote of the state Senate, but no impeachment has been reported.

On February 11, 2026, Councilman Dwight Hudson tried to remove Dunn from his seat on the Greater Baton Rouge Airport Commission, citing “misconduct and breach of fiduciary duty.” The Metro Council voted 9-1 to pull the item from the agenda, with Hudson the only vote to keep it alive.¹⁰

The Wider Investigation

The CATS charges are one piece of a joint corruption investigation by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, led by Attorney General Liz Murrill, and the FBI. The probe had been running for two to three years before the indictments were announced and has reached beyond CATS into other city-parish contracts. On December 9, 2025, developer Bradly Brown was indicted on seven counts of theft, bank fraud, money laundering, and falsifying public records tied to a city-parish contract for low-income housing in the Scotlandville neighborhood. By late January 2026, the investigation had produced at least six indictments, and Murrill’s office said it expected more from the ongoing grand jury.¹ CATS itself said it is “not a party to the criminal proceedings” and is cooperating with the court.⁶

1
WAFB. Indictment Outlines Alleged CATS Contract Scheme Tied to Baton Rouge Councilman
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WAFB. Councilman Cleve Dunn Jr. Booked Into EBR Parish Prison Following Indictment
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Yahoo News. District 6 Councilman Cleve Dunn Indicted
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WBRZ. CATS Indictments Stemmed From Federal Investigation
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WBRZ. Two More People Indicted in CATS Theft Conspiracy Case
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WBRZ. Former CAO of CATS, Contractor Arrested on Theft and Conspiracy Charges
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The Advocate. Two More People Charged in Baton Rouge Bus System Corruption Investigation
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The Advocate. Cleve Dunn Arrested Following Indictment
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Louisiana State Legislature. Ethics and Related Matters
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WAFB. East Baton Rouge Metro Council Removes Item Targeting Indicted Councilman