Four years on, the reward for crime tip remains largely unpaid
LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- 55-year-old Gary James Goulas of Breaux Bridge tried to drown eight newborn puppies in St. Martin Parish. Goulas was caught and convicted, but the reward for the person who called in the tip was never paid in full.
The reward was supposed to be for $7,200, but the person who tipped off the people never received the entire reward and wants to know why.
News 10 spoke with the relative of the person who tipped off St. Martin Parish Sheriff deputies. The suspect, Gary Goulas, was arrested due to the tip and later convicted of the crime. The relative says they want to remain anonymous because of safety concerns. They are left with questions on why the full amount was never issued.
"When it first came about, it's a relative of mine that knew who that person was. That thing, those puppies. So, they went ahead and turned them in," said the relative. "So we would like some answers. Was this check ever written, I mean, I have a copy of the check that was written. But was it ever given to the humane society?"
In 2020 The Humane Society announced a $500 reward for information on a crime where eight newborn puppies were thrown off a bridge into a bayou. Shortly after, an additional $2,200 was received to go with the initial reward amount. Jeff Dorson, with The Humane Society says a private donor then upped the reward by another $4,500, bringing the total of the reward to $7,200.
"We did raise money for the reward, we raised $2,700. $4,500 additional, was pledged by an individual, I believe, out of Lafayette," said Dorson.
Dorson says the private donor reached out via email offering to donate $4,500 for the identification, arrest, and conviction of the suspect and sent a text message with a copy of the written check to be sent.
"We reached out to him multiple times in multiple ways by email and by regular post and by phone, but no response. So, we can't honor what we don't have, and we explain that to the reward. The person got the reward that that's where we are," said Dorson.
News 10 reached out to the private donor who tells us, the check was never sent because he was never contacted with an update on Goulas' conviction. The private donor says now that he knows Goulas admitted to the crime, a check for the remaining $4,500 will be sent to the humane society.
We reached back out to The Humane Society to let them know of our findings and they say as soon as they receive the check, it will be sent to the tipster.
Goulas plead guilty to eight counts of felony cruelty to animals and was placed on three years probation.