Maxine Trahan, an Acadia Parish deputy who worked as the sheriff’s spokesperson for more than a decade, has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $200,000 in seized cash.
Court records show Maxine Trahan, 59, pleaded guilty to theft over $25,000.
Acadia Parish Judge Ronald Cox accepted Trahan’s guilty plea on June 29 and sentenced her to a suspended sentence of five years hard labor. She’s also been placed on active supervised probation for five years and must pay restitution to the 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Trahan was accused of pocketing money seized during drug investigations, which she was supposed to deposit so that it could be split between the DA’s office and local law enforcement agencies. In her guilty plea, Trahan agreed to pay more than $226,000 in restitution.
The April 2016 warrant for her arrest alleged she took more than $48,000 since 2010. Then a January 2017 state audit revealed she had taken about $200,000 since 2003.
Attorney Glen Howie represented Trahan. He could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday afternoon.
Court records show Trahan now lists Baton Rouge as her address.
Assistant Attorney General Marty White prosecuted the case.
In February, Trahan also pleaded no contest in a Lafayette Parish case that accused her of stealing more than $46,000 from an 80-year-old Duson woman.
