Two employees from the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office in New Orleans have been arrested for allegedly embezzling over $90,000 from inmate commissary funds over a period of nearly two years.
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Toya Robertson, 51, and Labrina Carey Lackey, 57, were arrested earlier this week for their alleged involvement in a scheme to embezzle cash deposits meant for the Inmate Trust Fund. According to NOLA.com, the pair is accused of pocketing approximately $4,000 per month between January 2023 and November 2024. They allegedly skimmed cash deposits made at the jail’s bond window and concealed the theft by adjusting journal entries. To cover the missing funds, they reportedly issued fraudulent check disbursements from the Inmate Trust Fund bank account.
The alleged scheme was uncovered after a forensic review initiated by Chief Financial Officer Bianka Brown, who noticed a discrepancy in the accounts. During this review, she also discovered another apparent scheme involving former grants manager Kenneth Lawson. Lawson was accused of diverting federal funds intended for the jail to his own business. He was arrested last Friday morning on ten criminal counts, which included public contract fraud and obstruction of justice.
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Robertson and Lackey face multiple charges, including theft over $25,000, monetary instrumental abuse, obstruction of justice, filing false public records, and malfeasance in office.
“These actions are reprehensible and do not reflect the values of the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. The public places its trust in us, and it is our duty to uphold that trust by taking decisive action against anyone who undermines our mission,” said Sheriff Susan Hutson.