WESTWEGO, La. — A former Westwego police officer has been booked and jailed on accusations that he made more than $100,000 by falsely approving physical inspection stickers for vehicles at a discounted rate over the normal fee, according to a report on NOLA.com.
Leroy Victoriano Jr., 59, was booked with malfeasance in office, theft valued over $25,000, money laundering and filing false public records.
State Police investigators allege that Victoriano was not authorized to do the inspections but somehow obtained 5,000 blank inspection affidavits while picking up other supplies. He then used the affidavits to offer drivers the inspections for $25 instead of the usual $40 fee.
According to NOLA.com, typically, people in need of a physical inspection affidavit are trying to get a salvaged title or a new title for a used car or a vehicle bought out-of-state, Orlando said. Under Louisiana law, only a trained, post-certified law enforcement officer can conduct the VIN inspections. Victoriana wasn't authorized to do so for Westwego police, Lt. Eric Orlando, a spokesperson for the Westwego Police, said.
Authorities knew there was a problem because Victoriano wasn't one of the six Westwego officers authorized to perform the inspections, Orlando said.
State Police picked up the case as investigators realized just how many affidavits Victoriano had issued, according to authorities.
Victoriano, who had been with the Westwego Police Department since January 2023, resigned after he was placed on administrative leave as part of the investigation, authorities said.
