Louisiana Legislative Auditor
Daryl G. Purpera, CPA, CFE

January 23, 2017

Investigative Audit Finds $50,048 in Traffic Citation Revenue Missing in Haynesville

An investigative audit initiated at the request of Haynesville’s mayor found that $50,048 in traffic citation revenue was not deposited into the Town’s bank account between September 2007 and September 2015, the Legislative Auditor said in a report released today.

Auditors said in the report that a former dispatcher for the Police Department was responsible for collecting the traffic citation fines but denied she took the missing money. However, auditors found that during the time period in question, 137 cash deposits totaling $40,615 were made to the former dispatcher’s personal bank accounts. She told auditors that the cash came from former boyfriends and other sources and was not related to the missing traffic fines, but she did not provide any evidence to support her claim.

In addition, auditors found that the former dispatcher appeared to have altered records at the Police Department, which resulted in a reduced traffic fine, an improperly reinstated driver’s license and an unprocessed bench warrant. The former dispatcher did not provide any documentation to show she was authorized to make the changes.

Auditors also noted in the report that there was no reconciliation or oversight by the Police Chief of the Town’s five sets of traffic citation records (the citation itself, the citation disposition book, the court docket, the Police Department receipts, and the Town Hall receipts). Nor did the Town Clerk reconcile Police Department receipts to deposits to ensure that all traffic citation revenues collected by the former dispatcher were submitted to Town Hall for deposit. State law requires that quarterly audits be performed on traffic citations by the fiscal officer.
For more information contact:

Legislative Auditor
225.339.3800



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