A former public defender in Evangeline Parish was paid over $60,000 to which he was not entitled, according to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, but the person accused said he did nothing wrong and intends to keep the money.

VILLE PLATTE, La. (KLFY) -- A former public defender in Evangeline Parish was paid over $60,000 to which he was not entitled, according to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, but the person accused said he did nothing wrong and intends to keep the money.

In a letter from Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack dated Jan. 24, the auditor's office claimed Alex Chapman Jr. was paid $66,194 in excess of his board-approved salary from October 2016 through March 2020, and recommended that the office seek legal recourse in recovering that money.

Chapman said in his response that he was entitled to the money and will not pay it back.

"Based on the totality of this whole scenario I will not pay back, voluntarily, anything to anyone
for money which I received for work which I have done." Chapman said.

The dispute stems from differing opinions regarding who is authorized to approve pay raises in the Thirteenth Judicial District Public Defender’s Office. According to the auditor, the Louisiana Public Defender Board "has the sole authority, but not obligation, to increase the salary and/or other compensation payable to the District Defender…District Defender shall not use funds from
any source to supplement his or her Board-approved salary.”

In his rebuttal, Chapman said he was assured that he had the power to raise salaries in the office, and that he gave himself extra pay for doing extra work. His contracted salary was $56,500 per year, according to the audit.

"I increased my compensation when the contact attorney, Gilbert J. Aucoin, who was handling Indigent Defender duties in Ville Platte City Court Misdemeanor Docket as well as Juvenile Matters and also CINC matters in 13th JDC District Court suddenly resigned," Chapman said. "I took over performing those duties and began paying myself the compensation which he had been receiving for performing those duties."

Tricia Ward, who was hired by the Louisiana Public Defender Board to serve as district defender in January 2021, said she would try to get the money back.

"Since then, I have been actively working to implement controls and have continually adjusted processes as needed," Ward said, in her response to the audit. "Additionally, I have sought legal counsel on the matter of recovering funds that were not properly disbursed before my tenure as District Defender, and I will follow the advice of that attorney."

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