Shooting at Coushatta Chairman’s House, Louisiana Police Confirm
Posted on: November 6, 2025, 09:46h.
Last updated on: November 6, 2025, 10:44h.
- A shooting occurred at the home of the chairman of the Coushatta Tribe in Louisiana
- The tribe is the subject of a federal and state probe into claims of improper spending by the former chair
Police in Louisiana’s Jefferson Davis Parish responded Sunday night to a residence in Iowa, just east of Lake Charles, following reports of gunfire. The shooting reportedly occurred at the residence of David Sickey, the chair of the Coushatta Tribe, who reassumed the nation’s top government position in June after his predecessor resigned amid fraud allegations.
Sickey, who served a four-year term as Coushatta chair from 2017 through 2021, succeeded Jonathan Cernek after he abruptly resigned. Allegations that Cernek used casino credit cards for personal purchases totaling almost $112K were later raised.
Federal and state law enforcement agencies continue to probe the allegations against Cernek. Todd Stewart, who was CEO of the tribe’s primary economic engine, the Coushatta Casino Resort in Kinder, lost his job after the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) concluded that he didn’t report Cernek’s suspected misuse of tribal funds in a timely manner.
Stewart disputes the NIGC’s claims and decision to suspend his key personnel gaming license, saying he immediately notified tribal leadership, including the Coushatta Tribal Council, after coming across the financial discrepancies.
Chairman Shooting
Stewart told the Louisiana Illuminator that he’s being used as a scapegoat for Cernek’s unlawful actions. Stewart, who has since relocated to Nevada, said, “It appears that there is an attempt to hold me, the nontribal member, accountable for the inappropriate actions of the chairman.”
Paula Corliss, the casino’s since-terminated purchasing manager, said Cernek privately admitted to improperly using tribal credit cards for home furnishings.
He said, ‘I hurt my family. I hurt my tribe,'” Corliss claimed to the Louisiana Illuminator.
The scandal in the Bayou turned violent over the weekend when police said a single bullet was shot at Sickey’s home. The bullet was reportedly fired from outside the home and traveled through a child’s bedroom window, where the child was asleep.
No one was injured in the shooting. The Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office, Coushatta Tribal Police, and federal agencies are investigating the incident.
Iowa is about 25 miles southwest of the Coushatta Casino along Route 165.
Coushatta $150 Million Expansion
The NIGC contended that Stewart also failed to disclose to Wells Fargo, the tribe’s lender of its $150 million construction loan, about Cernek’s alleged unauthorized use of the casino’s credit cards. The money was nonetheless allocated to the tribe, which has used the funds to construct a 204-room luxury hotel and refresh the casino floor and existing restaurants.
The new hotel hasn’t yet been branded to complement the casino’s Grand Hotel, Seven Clans Hotel, The Inn at Coushatta, and Red Shoes Chalets. The resort additionally has a 40-acre RV park with concrete pads and full hook-ups.
The Coushatta Casino is a 100K-square-foot gaming facility with 2,000 slot machines, 55 table games, and a sportsbook. 2025 marked the 30th anniversary of the Coushatta Casino Resort.
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