The man who urinated in the Voznesensky waterworks pleaded guilty

ASCENSION, La. (WAFB) – A man who urinated twice in the water at a public water station in the Ascension area has pleaded guilty to lesser charges and received a suspended sentence. Prosecutors said the more serious felony charges against the man ultimately did not match the facts of the case.

Michael Mastin, 58, of Baton Rouge, was arrested in 2023 and initially charged with two counts of water pollution and two counts of criminal damage to critical infrastructure.

Surveillance video released by the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office shows Mastin adjusting the angle of a surveillance camera at a Donaldsonville water plant before walking up to a water tank and urinating in it.

In court Monday, Mastin took a plea deal in which he pleaded guilty to lesser charges of criminal trespass and misdemeanor battery.

He was sentenced to 7 months in prison and fined $500 plus court costs. He was also given a two-year suspended sentence.

District Attorney Ricky Babin said Tuesday that the original and more serious charges against Mastin did not match the way the case turned out.

“After reviewing all the evidence and consulting with the utility department, it was determined that the criminal charges are not supported,” Babin said. “Criminal damage to critical infrastructure requires intentional damage. After consultation with the parish, it was determined that nothing was actually damaged in the medical facility. There appears to be no evidence that he intended to damage any part of the facility. In particular, regarding the accusation of contamination of the water supply, the parish made it clear publicly that the water is safe and not contaminated. After consulting with the Department of Public Utilities, they confirmed that the actions taken by the defendant involved the injection of water that had not yet been filtered, and that the defendant’s actions did not actually contaminate the water supply. However, the defendant was not required to put anything into the filtration tank or otherwise alter the pre-treated water. As such, he agreed to plead guilty to charges of criminal trespass and disorderly conduct. Although his actions caused serious damage to public trust, they did not meet the requirements of the original charges.”

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