Investigators believe a city contractor defrauded multiple Baton Rouge officials and falsely claimed he sponsored an event featuring a man awaiting trial for murder at the time, according to newly obtained court records.
On Monday, Roderick Shannon, 50, was arrested by the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation on two counts of falsifying public records and one count of theft tied to a payment he received from the now-defunct Safe, Hopeful, Healthy BR initiative.
in February, Shannon invoiced the city-parish in 2022 for an event called “MADD Marvin Gun Safety with the Constable.”
In March, Attorney General Liz to City Hall demanding documents related to Shannon.
The event involved Marvin Payne, who was out of jail on bond facing a murder charge at the time, though it was later dropped.
Investigators say Shannon’s invoice claiming he organized the event did not add up, as other information pointed to funding coming from Constable Terrica Williams.
“Williams confirmed that she had sponsored the gun safety event,” agents wrote in Shannon’s arrest warrant. “Williams confirmed Payne’s involvement in the event and said he was accompanied by (Metro Council) member Darryl Hurst.”
Shannon’s invoice for the event is dated July 18, 2022, the same date Louisiana Bureau of Investigation agents say he falsified records and committed theft of $3,041.66.
In a news release Monday, Murrill’s office said Shannon — who also goes by “Squeak” — did not actually organize the event but took credit for it on his invoice.
At the time, Shannon was a contracted worker for Safe, Hopeful, Healthy BR, a program under former Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome.
Multiple agencies have served subpoenas related to the initiative in the past two years.
Records show Shannon received regular monthly payments from the city-parish for violence prevention-related work between 2022 and June 2025 on various contracts. Most of that money was paid for with federal dollars.
Investigators say they tried several times to speak with Shannon regarding his invoice and the gun safety event, but he nor his attorney have opted to be interviewed.
“Based on the evidence discovered in this investigation, agents believe Roderick Shannon intentionally defrauded the Safe, Hopeful, Healthy BR Program,” wrote Louisiana Bureau of Investigation agent Phillip Vitter.
Asked earlier this year about the gun safety event, Hurst said he believed others could benefit from Payne telling his story and the negative experiences he had.
The probe continues
Murrill’s investigation has yielded a slew of indictments since October.
The health and safety initiative is one of the programs at the center of a corruption investigation into Baton Rouge government under Broome’s administration.
Courtney Scott, a staffer for Broome, signed the invoice for the mayor’s office. Scott was indicted in February, accused of orchestrating a kickback scheme that allegedly funneled nearly $200,000 from the nonprofit to herself through other contracts.
Courtney Scott walks into the 19th Judicial District Court on Thursday, May 28, 2026. Staff photos by Javier Gallegos
Javier Gallegos
Broome has denied wrongdoing.
Sitting Council member Cleve Dunn Jr. was indicted in January on charges including conspiracy, bribery and money laundering related to a Capital Area Transit System contract.
Investigators say he and then-CATS administrator Pearlina Thomas — who was also indicted — steered a contract to a close associate of Dunn’s.
Several other contractors have also been indicted on charges related to CATS and the Safe, Hopeful, Healthy initiative.
Veronica Mathis was indicted alongside Scott in February.
Terral “TJ” Jackson and Erica Jackson — who are married — were indicted for allegedly receiving taxpayer dollars to campaign for a CATS millage renewal.
City-parish records show the couple’s company BROAD Innovative Marketing was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars through contracts via Safe, Hopeful, Healthy and the Mayor’s Healthy City Initiative.
Sources familiar with the investigation say current Metro Council member Twahna P. Harris and former member Chauna Banks have been subpoenaed to testify before the attorney general’s grand jury this Wednesday.