Lake Charles, Louisiana – A Lake Charles man faces multiple charges after investigators say he impersonated local judges over the phone to fraudulently secure an inmate’s release from the Calcasieu Correctional Center.
Adrian J. St. Romain, 42, of Lake Charles, was arrested September 9 by Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies and U.S. Marshal’s Service agents on an unrelated warrant. Following an interview, he was charged with attempted simple escape, assisting escape, injuring public records, and false impersonation in connection with the phone scheme.
The investigation began in July when detectives with the Specialized Investigations Division noticed suspicious phone calls made to the correctional center between April and July. The caller was impersonating judges in attempts to set fraudulent bonds for an inmate.
On April 16, the suspect successfully convinced jail staff to reduce an inmate’s bond to “Released on Recognizance,” or ROR, which allows defendants to be released without posting bail money. The inmate was subsequently released in June based on this fraudulent authorization.
The scheme unraveled when the inmate appeared in court July 17. Court officials discovered the release had been granted under false pretenses, leading to the inmate’s immediate arrest and return to the Calcasieu Correctional Center.
Undeterred, the suspect made two additional attempts in July to secure another fraudulent bond for the same inmate while again impersonating a judge. These efforts were unsuccessful.
Through their investigation, detectives identified St. Romain as the individual making the impersonation calls. His bond has not yet been set on the new charges.
Sheriff Stitch Guillory acknowledged the security breach while defending his department’s response. “We have policies in place and have already made changes to ensure this type of situation does not happen again,” Guillory stated. “This was an honest error that occurred due to lack of training, and we have addressed it.”
The sheriff explained why details of the case were not released immediately after discovery in July. “We did not release any information in July once it was discovered due to the fact our detectives and corrections personnel were in the middle of an active investigation,” he said. “Revealing details too soon could have tipped off the suspect.”
Guillory praised the work of multiple departments in solving the case. “I want to commend our detectives, corrections deputies, and the CPSO Real Time Crime Center for the work they did using multiple law enforcement tools and techniques to connect the dots and identify the suspect responsible.”
The sheriff emphasized his commitment to transparency despite the embarrassing nature of the incident. “I remain committed to being transparent with our community and those we serve, even when situations like this occur.”
Released on Recognizance is a common practice in the judicial system where defendants are released from custody based on their promise to appear for future court dates, without requiring bail payment. This type of release is typically reserved for non-violent offenses or defendants deemed low flight risks.
The case highlights vulnerabilities in jail communication systems and the importance of verification procedures for judicial orders. The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office has implemented additional training and policy changes to prevent similar incidents.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not disclosed whether additional suspects may be involved or if other inmates may have benefited from similar schemes.
All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.