
Louisiana School Financial Scandal: Ex-Bookkeeper Arrested For $205K Misappropriation
Louisiana law enforcement officials say they have arrested a bookkeeper who used to work for a high school's business department after they have accused the woman of misappropriating $205,000.
Investigators with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office say they arrested 65-year-old Lisa Ann Crochet Powell on Tuesday, December 17, after months of investigating discrepancies they found while poring over the functions of the bookkeeper records while employed at Patterson High School.
According to law enforcement officials, a complaint was made in August that something was wrong with the records. As investigators looked into the situation, they determined numerous situations where they alleged Powell, the sole person responsible for receipts and money going into the school account, fudged paperwork. After reviewing the books, they found that the sum of funds missing from the high school was over $205,000.
On December 14, we reported on an arrest of a St. Mary Parish School System employee.
Sheriff's officials say they were called to a school board office on Wednesday of this week to investigate a complaint about a possible theft.
According to St. Mary Parish Sheriff Gary Driskell, detectives of the Investigations Section of the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office went to the St. Mary Parish School Board Office in Centerville to investigate a complaint about possible theft.
Detectives discovered that someone had been using the credit card belonging to the St. Mary Parish School Board. They also discovered that someone allegedly forged paperwork to give clearance for the items purchased. The items purchased were all for personal use.
Detectives spoke with and, on Friday, December 13, subsequently arrested 31-year-old Dinah Dru Richard of Patterson for the following charges:
- Forgery
- Theft over $5,000
- Malfeasance in Office
Richard was booked into the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center.
When it comes to Powell, Sheriff Driskell says she was arrested on the following charges:
- False Accounting
- Theft (over $25,000)
- Malfeasance in Office
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