After literally dozens of stories by LouisianaVoice since 2014 about Louisiana State Police (LSP) problems through mismanagement from the top, it appears—finally—that matters may be coming to a head with Monday’s arrest of two current and two former state troopers a total of 98 counts of filing false public records, injuring public records, felony theft and malfeasance in office.
Along with the formal LSP news release announcing the four arrests, unconfirmed reports have former State Police Superintendent Mike Edmonson and his attorney involved in preliminary negotiations for a plea bargain on unspecified charges but believed to be connected to the October 2016 trip in which four troopers drove a state vehicle to a convention in San Diego via tourist stops in Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon.
An official of the Metropolitan Crime Commission in New Orleans even voiced his belief that all the problems of LSP as reported on since 2014 by LouisianaVoice could be laid at the feet of one man: Edmonson.
While the latest arrests stem directly from a news story by New Orleans TV investigative reporter LEE ZURIK last November revealed state troopers were being paid for working Local Agency Compensated Enforcement (LACE) patrol that they in fact did not work, LouisianaVoice reported two years earlier that Rogers was falsifying records in connection to his LACE patrol. LACE is a cooperative program in which local district attorneys pay state police for beefed-up patrol to catch traffic offenders.
In the end, of the 98 counts amassed by the four current and former troopers, 75 were lodged against Rogers. All the counts against the four were in connection to their work in the LACE program, the LSP PRESS RELEASE release said.
The two current state troopers were Master Trooper Daryl Thomas (two counts of filing false public records and one count of felony theft (greater than $15,000), and Wayne Taylor (14 counts of injuring public records and one count of malfeasance in office. Thomas, of New Orleans, currently makes $89,400 per year and Taylor, of Rapides Parish, earns $62,600 per year.
The two former troopers were Byron Sims, a $109,000-per-year polygraphist with 22 years’ experience before leaving LSP (four counts of filing false public records and one count of felony theft greater than $21,000), and Rogers (74 counts of injuring public records and one count of malfeasance in office.
FILING FALSE PUBLIC RECORDS, under Louisiana Title 14 is the filing of any forged or wrongfully-altered document or any document containing a false statement or false representation of a material fact.
INJURING PUBLIC RECORDS is the intentional falsification or concealment of any record or document filed in any public office or with any public officer.
Both are felonies.
Much of the legwork in bringing the charges against Rogers was done by the office of Calcasieu Parish District Attorney John DeRosier.
In Rogers’s case, an LSP INTERNAL AFFAIRS REPORT dated October 20, 2015 said he wrote tickets on his regular detail but putting a later date on the ticket to make it appear he had written it on his LACE detail when in fact he was not even working the LACE shift for which he was paid. Other times, he would put later times for his traffic stops to make it appear he had worked his entire detail when, in fact, he had not.
The IA investigation, provided to LouisianaVoice by the New Orleans Metropolitan Crime Commission, initially delved into only Rogers’s 2015 LACE overtime but when discrepancies were discovered, it was decided to expand the investigation to include 2013 and 2014 but then Rogers resigned, effective Nov. 6, 2015 and the investigation was terminated.
Inexplicably, Rogers had a change of heart and on March 7, 2017, sent an EMAIL to Troop D Commander Benny Broussard in which he (a) claimed he had resigned in “good standing,” and (b) said he would like to return to his former job. Ironically, in that email he said, “I was clear (sic) of every claim except altering times on tickets. I am guilty of writing times on tickets later than the stop actually was.”
The only logical reason for writing the wrong times was to cover up his absence from duty by writing driver citations for a small part of the beginning of his shift and then taking the rest of the day off.
One source told LouisianaVoice that Rogers and another former trooper, Ronnie Picou, should not have been able to disappear from their shifts if they had been under a proper level of supervision. “Most jobs have supervisors (who) would notice when someone is not there,” the source said. “Most police supervisors would care about their troopers and check on them if they disappeared. Most police supervisors believe their job is important and officers must be present to accomplish that important job.”
“They were not supervised by people who care about their officers or the citizens they serve. They were supervised by Lt. Paul Brady and Capt. Chris Guillory.
Brady helped popularize the coined term “Brady Days,” an unwritten policy that gave troopers time off for issuing DWI citations, which can encourage arrests of people who were not actually impaired. Brady supervised Picou who was initially fired after LouisianaVoice requested records on alleged payroll fraud. Brady supervised Picou when an LSP investigative report showed he was absent from duty much of the time.
Brady was suspended for reportedly ordering Troopers to claim more time than they worked. Those allegations were also discovered after LouisianaVoice made public records requests. Brady also supervised Rogers. Sources reported Picou and Rogers were able to shuck their duties under the supervision of Brady, leaving their fellow troopers and citizens abandoned.
LouisianaVoice has received reports that the allegations which led to the arrest of Rogers were known to LSP for years. Rogers was under the protection of Brady and Guillory, former Troop D Commander. Capt. Guillory reportedly has a position in Baton Rouge but he lives in Sulphur.
LSP knew about Rogers, Picou, Brady and Guillory and did nothing until forced by public exposure.
Instead, Edmonson, rather than take proactive measures to eliminate problems exposed in Troop D, went to considerable lengths to expose LouisianaVoice’s SOURCES–until it became painfully obvious that the primary problem was Edmonson.
Perhaps Anthony “Tony” Radosti, Vice-President of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, said it best when he told LouisianaVoice on Monday, “Jimmy Rogers was a symptom. Mike Edmonson was the disease.”
TOM, THANKS TOM FOR STAYING THE COURSE. THE QUESTION TO COLONEL REEVES IS THIS: WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SERGEANT AND LIEUTENANT THAT APPROVED THE OVERTIME? WHAT HAPPENS TO THE CAPTAIN, MAJOR AND LIEUTENANT COLONEL WHO ARE TUCKED AWAY WHO COVERED THIS UP? COLONEL REEVES, YOUR AGENCY TEACHES A LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY TO THE LOW-HANGING FRUIT YOU ARRESTED TODAY, WHY NOT PRACTICE WHAT IS PREACHED AND RID THE AGENCY OF THE CANCER CREATED BY EDMONSON AND CLEAN HOUSE?!
aman!
| tomaswell posted: “After literally dozens of stories by LouisianaVoice since 2014 about Louisiana State Police (LSP) problems through mismanagement from the top, it appears—finally—that matters may be coming to a head with Monday’s arrest of two current and two former state” | |
The NewStar report stated “Reeves said the job status for Thomas, who has more than 23 years of service, and Taylor, who has more than 11 years of service is pending the administrative process.”
If Trump can fire Andrew McCabe one day before his scheduled retirement, Colonel Reeves can and should fire Thomas and Taylor without regard to their prior service. An Officer of the law commits a felony, he’s OUT and out NOW! So Colonel Reeves, do your duty in an unbiased fashion. Fire the guilty without regard to retirement ramifications or prior service,
The ball is now in Colonel Reeves court. I’ve personally known the Colonel for over twenty years, and I suspect that he’s going to do the right thing, and charge all those that are guilty. I truly believe that Colonel Reeves will do what is in the very best interest of the Louisiana State Police, but should he fail to do so. appoint someone that will do the job. The entire future reputation of the Louisiana State Police hinges on cleaning this mess up from the top down. Thanks Tom for keeping us informed, and those in high office on their toes.
Can someone please explain to me how you get 10k bond out of 5k for each charge. Judge Ritchie put in there 5k for each charge or 10k total. That’s total B.S.
Wonder if he will go ask his daddy figure what he should do.
What about Chris Guillory’s supervisor, Major Becket Breaux? He not only allow this to happen, but helped Chris Guillory to retaliate against those troopers and supervisors that refused to follow their lead. Why aren’t they being investigated for not doing their job? Why is Col. Reeves still protecting these supervisors when he should be asking “How was this allowed to happen and why didn’t you do something to prevent it?” Why are they being protected? So they both can retire very shortly with a retirement of over $100,000.00 a year each? I’m sure this is just the tip of the iceberg.
“DRAIN THE SWAMP AT LOUISIANA STATE POLICE” !