BAKER, La. (BRPROUD) – The Chief of the Baker Fire Department Christopher Hunt turned himself in on Thursday morning following an investigation into alleged payroll fraud.
The Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations says they began looking into Hunt in October after receiving a complaint that Hunt was submitting overtime hours that he did not work.
Investigators say through interviews they learned of a green log book in which all legitimate overtime hours would be logged and that a record of all personnel who worked each day was also kept.
Looking over entries from January 1, 2021, to August 8, 2021, police say they found that Hunt falsely submitted 210 hours of overtime on 17 dates for which he did not actually work. Hunt was paid $59.94 an hour for overtime and was paid $12,587.40 for the falsely submitted overtime.
Later in a sworn affidavit, LSP says Hunt also falsified payroll records for another 162 overtime hours bringing his total to $22,297.68.
After Hunt surrendered to state police, he was transported to East Baton Rouge Parish Prison and charged with public payroll fraud, felony theft over $5,000, computer fraud, and malfeasance in office.
