State auditor issues report on diversion of funds by sheriff's office employee

The Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office issued a report April 1, regarding it’s investigation into alleged financial mismanagement of the former chief civil deputy for the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office, Rebecca Devillier.
The auditor’s findings have been turned over to District Attorney Trent Brignac’s office.
According to the executive summary of the auditor’s report, Devillier, who had been the civil deputy since April 2009, “diverted EPSO funds totaling at least $108,976 to herself and possibly to other EPSO employees for personal use from August 17, 2011, to September 30, 2014. Ms. Devillier issued unauthorized checks using Sheriff Eddie Soileau’s signature stamp, failed to deposit cash collections, and falsified and destroyed accounting records to conceal her actions.”
The report also states Devillier “used the EPSO credit card to make unauthorized purchases totaling $6,005 from November 22, 2013, to September 10, 2014.”
The report states that Sheriff Soileau was notified in September 2014 by the bank used by the sheriff’s office that Devillier “deposited a large check from an Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) bank account into her personal bank account.”
Devillier was terminated from employment at the sheriff’s office on September 30, 2014. “Sheriff Soileau immediately notified the Louisiana State Police (LSP) and his independent auditor of Ms. Devillier’s actions,” according to the legislative auditor’s report.
Devillier was then arrested by state police “for issuing unauthorized checks to herself from EPSO accounts,” the report states.
Several changes have been implemented at the sheriff’s office for the new chief civil deputy to prevent misappropriation on funds, including entering all financial transactions onto computer accounting software instead of manually entering ledgers.
Devillier, as civil deputy, was responsible for “collecting and recording proceeds from ad valorem taxes, fines, bond fees, background checks, civil fees an other services,” according to the state auditor’s report.