NEW ORLEANS--Louisiana State Police began making sweeping changes Monday to how the agency handles travel and will force four state troopers to reimburse taxpayers for a side trip they took to Las Vegas on their way to a San Diego conference last Fall.
The changes come after investigative reports by The New Orleans Advocate and WWL-TV about the taxpayer-funded detour that the troopers took in a state-owned SUV, stopping at the Grand Canyon and in Las Vegas on their way to California.
Time sheets for 3 of the troopers, Lieutenant Rodney Hyatt, Master Trooper Thurman Miller and Trooper Alexandr Nezgodinsky reveal they claimed to drive three times longer than it should have taken them to travel different legs of their trip.
For example, the three troopers claimed to work 12 and 14 hours on October 12, 2016, the day they traveled from the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas, a trip that should have taken about 4 hours. Hyatt and Miller even claimed to work overtime on that day.
Three of the troopers driving that SUV charged the state nearly 160 hours of overtime over the course of the trip.
“They were not approved to claim overtime. They were not approved to spend one or two nights in Las Vegas. So, they're gonna have to answer to that in my independent review,” Edmonson said.
Monday, Edmonson said the state’s management and finance office would try to recoup the overtime paid to the troopers, instead compensating them with comp or “K-Time.”
“There are troopers that have been disciplined for not following procedure with respect to travel reimbursement to the tune of less than $100. This is thousands of dollars, said Rafael Goyeneche, President of the Metropolitan Crime Commission.
Major Derrell Williams, the head of internal affairs for LSP, also traveled in the SUV, making the stops at the Grand Canyon with the three others. He is not eligible for overtime, and claimed 16 hours of K-Time for the weekend days he spent at the conference.
Louisiana State Police Commander Colonel Mike Edmonson said Monday Williams would be re-assigned to patrol as the previous head of internal affairs, Cathy Flinchum, completes an administrative review.
All four will be asked to re-pay the state for their hotel stay and compensation for their time in Las Vegas. Edmonson did not say whether they will also be asked to pay back the costs of their trip to the Grand Canyon.
The troopers were authorized to drive the SUV across the country, but Edmonson said he did not sign off on them taking the scenic route or them claiming overtime.
“The intention was we needed a car there. We needed an SUV there for the number people. There were several offsite trips,” he said.
At least 12 other La. Department of Public Safety and Corrections employees flew, including the man the SUV is assigned to: Edmonson's Chief of Staff Lieutenant Charles Dupuy.
Google drive time estimates put the first two lengths of the trip as long, 12-hour days, what’s reflected in the time sheets of the three overtime-eligible troopers.
But again, the day they drove from the Grand Canyon, time sheets show they claimed a 4-hour drive took 12 and 14 hours.
When they traveled from Las Vegas to San Diego, Hyatt and Miller put down 16 hours of work on their time sheets. Nezgodinsky marked down 12 hours that day. All three put down some overtime hours that day.
“I did not know about it. But believe me, the person that did sign off on it is going to have to explain why he didn't dig a little deeper for that and find out why they charged for that,” Edmonson said.
Signatures on the time sheets indicate Hyatt, who again rode in the SUV, signed off on Nezgodinsky's work hours.
Another trooper who flew to the San Diego conference, Captain Greg Graphia, signed off on Hyatt and Miller's.
“This goes beyond the pale of simple mistakes. It will be interested to see how the state police handles the investigation,” Goyeneche said.
After the internal review is completed, he’s urging prosecutors to review the findings to determine if any criminal charges should be filed.
Edmonson also said in an emailed statement Monday he planned to change State Police policy governing travel compensation to say troopers should be paid with K-Time not overtime for “travel or conference training except for extraordinary circumstances approved through the Office of the Superintendent.”
The existing travel policy for the agency does not spell out compensation.
“I am not naïve to the fact that the management of this department clearly rest on my shoulders. All employees of the Department of Public Safety, including myself, are responsible and accountable for their actions. The public can rest assured that I am making necessary changes and providing clear direction to those under my command,” Edmonson said.
Reporter Jim Mustian with The New Orleans Advocate contributed to this report.