Council questions administration after phishing theft; police say suspect arrested and investigation ongoing

Councillors on Sept. 24 pressed Terrebonne Parish administration for information after a reported phishing-related fraud first detected in June led to an unauthorized wire transfer from parish accounts.

Chief Travis (Houma Police Department) told the council the investigation began June 13 and has involved multi-jurisdiction cooperation, including Louisiana State Police and the Secret Service. He said detectives executed search warrants in other states, that electronic evidence was seized and that an arrest had been made. "There will be more search warrants issued," the chief said. He told the council roughly $97,000 has been recovered so far and that an arraignment is expected in October. "This is not an easy investigation to conduct," the chief said, adding the case is time-consuming and technically complex.

Multiple council members said they first learned about the incident from news coverage and criticized administration for not informing the council earlier. "Every dollar that comes into Terrebonne Parish belongs to the taxpayers," Councilmember Steve Trusc? (identified in the record as "Mister Treschner/Truschner") said, urging transparent communications. "I think it's time we get transparent."

Parish President (administration) declined to provide additional details during the meeting, citing law-enforcement advice to withhold investigative specifics to avoid compromising the case. "It's an open investigation," he said, and added that staff had followed law-enforcement recommendations. Administration officials and the police chief said they were coordinating with banks and investigators to trace and recover funds.

Council members repeatedly asked whether internal disciplinary or personnel actions had occurred. The record indicates disciplinary action has been taken against an employee in connection with the matter, but the police chief and administration said no criminal theft by an employee has been established; the criminal investigation is focused on outside actors and associated accounts that received transfers.

Council members asked for a standardized notification protocol so elected officials receive timely, accurate information about incidents affecting parish funds while preserving criminal-investigation integrity. Administration said it had taken technical and procedural steps since the incident, including increased staff training and tighter payment controls.

No formal council action (motion or vote) on the matter was recorded; the discussion was listed on the agenda as a council request for information.