Clerk’s office employee charged with theft

Second arrest of court worker in 4 months

An employee with the St. Charles Parish Clerk of Court’s Office has been arrested after authorities say she allegedly pocketed money given to her to pay a pair of speeding tickets.

Tina Bourque, 41, of 165 Martin Lane in Des Allemands, was charged with two counts of theft under $500, two counts of malfeasance and injuring public records. She has been an employee with the clerk’s office for more than 20 years.

Between January and March of 2011, Bourque, who is assigned to process traffic court records, allegedly took payments for two speeding tickets in the amount of $116 for each ticket and kept both payments. The theft was discovered on Nov. 2 after a person paying Bourque for a traffic citation later received notification of withdrawal of driving privileges for not paying for traffic fines, according to the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The check provided to Bourque did not list a payee. Authorities say that a subsequent investigation revealed the check payee was listed as cash and that Bourque cashed the check at a local store.

An additional ticket was paid for with cash, which Bourque allegedly kept. Court records show the charges were not prosecuted and there was no record of payment.

Sheriff’s Office spokesman Capt. Pat Yoes said that St. Charles Parish Clerk of Court Charles Oubre and his office have cooperated with this investigation. The matter is still under investigation with additional charges possible.

Sheriff Greg Champagne is asking anyone who may have sought assistance from Bourque for traffic citations to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at (985)783-1135 to determine if the matter was resolved appropriately.

Bourque’s bond was set at $25,000. She was released on Monday after posting $2,530.

This is the second clerk of court employee to be arrested in the last four months.

In August, Kerri H. Breaux, 42, of 150 Birch St. in Luling, was arrested and charged with stealing more than $600 and falsifying records, according to the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.