St. Martinville Police Chief denies accusations he created a fake GED
St. Martinville city officials received an anonymous folder last week containing a copy of Police Chief Ricky Martin’s High School Equivalency Diploma, or GED.
The packet also contained a letter claiming the chief’s GED was forged.
“I just laughed it off because it’s totally, 100% false,” Chief Martin said.
The anonymous letter inside the folder claimed that Chief Martin altered or created his GED by photocopying signatures that are not normally signed on a GED.
The letter’s author claimed that a GED. is not typically signed by a high school principal.
“I don’t know who signs these. I don’t work for the school board or the state, so I have no clue,” Chief Martin said.
St. Martinville Mayor Melinda Mitchell said the city does require a police chief to have either a high school diploma or a GED.
Chief Martin said he is waiting on documentation coming from the state to prove his GED was not falsified.
“I know it’s a true document, so I’m just waiting to get the documentation to prove it, which you wouldn’t think you’d have to prove it’s a GED,” Chief Martin added.
The main concern the chief has now is finding out who sent the documents and letter.
“I know this is real, so the problem I have is how did this get out? Because this was in my personnel files, which means someone had to release something from my personnel file,” Chief Martin said.
It’s a file that only city employees and police department employees can access, according to the chief.
“It’s obvious that the attention is being shifted or attempting to be shifted from somebody else towards me, and that’s not going to happen,” Chief Martin told News 10.
Chief Ricky Martin says that the person or persons responsible for leaking this information will face repercussions.
St. Martinville police say they are looking at several persons of interest in the investigation.
Mayor Melinda Mitchell says she expects to hear from the state department of education on Wednesday regarding the chief’s diploma.