BATON ROUGE — East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Superintendent LaMont Cole was formally indicted on corruption charges by a grand jury on Wednesday amid a wider corruption probe into the city-parish government.

Cole, 52, was charged with two counts each of conspiracy to commit public bribery and money laundering between $100,000 and $200,000, as well as one count of malfeasance in office. 

According to dates provided in the indictment, Cole is accused of committing crimes while he was Mayor Pro Tempore between Aug. 10, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2024.

Two other people — Erica and Terral Jackson — were also indicted on criminal conspiracy to commit public bribery and money laundering charges.

Cole is the latest city-parish official to come under fire as part of the grand jury's probe into corruption involving the Capital Area Transit System and multiple mayor's office initiatives, including councilman Cleve Dunn Jr., former mayoral aide Courtney Scott and former CATS Chief Administrative Officer Pearlina Thomas.

Earlier this year, Terrell and Erica Jackson, who run Broad Innovation Marketing Firm, were also indicted on theft and conspiracy to commit theft charges. Their firm was connected to the wider CATS corruption investigation.

"During this time, we encourage everyone to remain calm, avoid speculation, and allow the appropriate processes to move forward," a spokesperson for the school district said in a statement following reports of the investigation into Cole in late July. "Our focus remains on what matters most. We will continue serving our students, supporting one another, and continuing the important work happening in our schools and departments each day."