DONALDSONVILLE — The Ascension Parish Council voted to remove Vice Chair Glenn Price from the West Ascension Parish Hospital Board on Thursday night. 

The motion to remove him noted that he's been "arrested several times for felony charges in Ascension Parish within the last year" and that the arrests "do not portray the image of trust and well-being to the citizens of the District."

Price, a previous Donaldsonville mayoral candidate, was first arrested two weeks before last year's mayoral election in October for allegedly stealing copper wire from utility poles and selling it. 

"If you know me, I live on a very small budget. I had a little small business, but I sure didn't have any money to launder," Price said. 

Last week, Price was booked for obstruction of justice tied to the previous money laundering charges. 

"The officer told me, 'Mr. Price, we are here to arrest you for obstruction of justice.' I said, 'Please, this can't be real.' I blink my eyes and had to been dreaming," he said.

Price called the obstruction of justice charges "bogus", calling it an effort to "get rid of him."

"It is predicated on bogus charges that have been filed against me politically because I ran for mayor of Donaldsonville. None of those charges against me are valid," he said. 

While Price and several members of the community made pleas to the council to wait until after his court date to make a decision, the council voted 8-3 in favor of removing Price from the board.

One council member asked to push the item back to November following Price's October court hearing, but that motion was rejected.

"It was only fair to make a motion like that in the situation the gentlemen is in. I just thought that it was only fair to do that," Council member Oliver Joseph said. 

Price says he plans to file legal action against the council. 

"I'm very disappointed at the council vote tonight and I'm going to sue the council because they violated statutory law," he said.