Lake Charles, Louisiana - A Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office deputy was terminated and arrested in October after a two-month internal investigation revealed he deliberately concealed evidence and suspect information in a credit card theft case at a Lake Charles business.
LilPaul Williams Jr., 26, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was arrested Oct. 23 and charged with malfeasance in office and injuring public records. Judge Tony Fazzio set his bond at $175,000. Williams was booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center the same day Sheriff Stitch Guillory terminated his employment.
The investigation began in September when detectives with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office started looking into the theft of a credit card and funds from a local Lake Charles business. Williams served as the responding deputy on the initial call and was responsible for collecting information and evidence to forward to detectives.
According to the investigation, Williams intentionally omitted the suspect's information from the case report because he had a prior relationship with the individual. Detectives also discovered that Williams failed to submit evidence provided by business personnel that was relevant to the theft investigation.
The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office Internal Affairs division conducted a separate investigation into Williams' actions. The probe concluded with his termination after approximately two months of service as a patrol deputy.
Sheriff Guillory addressed the arrest in a statement, emphasizing his commitment to accountability regardless of an officer's position within the department.
"When I was elected Sheriff, I took an oath to uphold the law, and that is exactly what I'll do, even when it involves on of our own deputies," Guillory stated. "Like I have said before, our deputies are held to a higher standard, and they will be held accountable for their actions. No one is above the law, including those who wear a badge."
Malfeasance in office is a criminal charge that applies when a public official commits wrongful conduct that affects their job performance. Injuring public records refers to the intentional alteration, destruction, or concealment of official documents.
All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.