ST. LANDRY PARISH, La. (KLFY) -- St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz has launched an investigation into a former deputy following allegations of favoritism.

The investigation comes after former fleet manager Elliot Bertrand was convicted this week of stealing over $15,000 from the Sheriff's Office. Bertrand used the office's credit card for personal expenses, including repairs to his horse trailer and equipment for his mud bike.

"The jail administrator allowed Bertrand to go home without being processed as the judge ordered," Guidroz stated. "And that is a no, no, because people will automatically think that I'm playing favorites with Mr. Bertrand."

Guidroz explained that Bertrand, who was once a respected employee, was ordered by Judge Doherty to be booked into jail following his conviction. However, when Bertrand arrived at the jail, he was allowed to leave without being booked by Jail Administrator Eddie Thibodeaux, who is from the same hometown as Bertrand.

Guidroz emphasized his commitment to transparency and maintaining public trust.

"I'm not going to put anything under the rug. We're going to prove to the people that we stand for what's right," he said.

The sheriff has ordered Bertrand to return to the jail to be properly booked, though he had not yet received confirmation that this had occurred at the time of the interview.

Guidroz warned that the investigation into Thibodeaux's actions could result in criminal charges, underscoring his dedication to addressing any wrongdoing within his office.

"If you do anything illegal or unlawful I'm going to put you on the six o'clock news and I'm going to arrest you," he declared.

Elliot Bertrand's sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 11, 2025, in St. Landry Parish.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KLFY. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KLFY staff before being published.

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