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Former sheriff's captain wants indictment on corruption charges thrown out
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NEW ROADS - A former Pointe Coupee Parish sheriff's captain wants his indictment on payroll fraud charges thrown out.
Monday, prosecutors were ready to begin a trial for Adrian Slaughter. But as the trial was getting ready to begin, it was pushed back after Slaughter's defense lawyers filed legal documents to have the indictment quashed. Slaughter is accused of padding his time sheets claiming he was at work when he was working extra duty, according to investigators.
"Mr. Landry takes public corruption, and in this case public payroll fraud, very seriously," Attorney General Prosecutor Jeff Traylor said. "We want the public to trust that the people who work for them in the government can be trusted to do the right thing and uphold their duty to the people."
Slaughter's attorneys said they were just provided with information that showed there were multiple other employees that did the same thing as Slaughter and received no consequences.
"We learned there are other employees, not the ghost employee, but other employees with the same problem," Belfield said. "He didn't do anything to them at all. He selectively chose Captain Slaughter to go after him because Captain Slaughter was a threat to him."
Belfield is talking about former Sheriff Bud Torres. In 2017, Torres said he had a responsibility to make sure people are following the rules.
"Any time you have a question about funding or money involving public money, it's very simple," Torres said. "I'm the sheriff. But I'm elected by the people, and I'm the custodian of the funds for the sheriff's office. And it's my job to enforce the law and make sure my people are doing what they are supposed to do."
This summer, the WBRZ Investigative Unit exposed a ghost employee who collected a full salary and benefits, but there was no record he did any work. That situation is now under investigation by the feds.
Torres has not answered questions since the WBRZ Investigative Unit began reporting on the situation.
Slaughter's defense lawyers said he has been subpoenaed to testify in his case.
"If he shows up, it will snow in August in New Orleans," Belfield said.
As questions continue to mount, Slaughter's attorney says his client maintains he did nothing wrong.
"They offered him a misdemeanor a long time ago," Belfield said. "He said I'm not taking that because I didn't do anything wrong. He could have walked away with a misdemeanor slap on the wrist a long time ago. He said I'm fighting it all the way because I didn't do anything wrong. That ought to tell you something."
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