Audit: Amite Chief May Have Violated State Law

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — State auditors say Amite Police Chief Jerry Trabona may have violated state law when he paid 25 off-duty policemen $18,000 for 360 court appearances even though the officers did not attend court on those days.

The Advocate reports auditors reviewed the police department's time sheets after Lee Gray, Amite's independent auditor, told state officials about discrepancies in the town's payroll and court records.

State auditors determined Trabona was incorrectly paying off-duty officers for appearances at arraignments even though the officers did not attend court on those days because their appearances would have been unnecessary.

Trabona told auditors that was the case when he first took office in January 2005.

The auditor's office says the report has been sent to the 21st Judicial District Attorney's Office.