BOGALUSA, La. — Less than two months after his arrest, Bogalusa Mayor Tyrin Truong proclaims his innocence.
On Friday, State Attorney General Liz Murrill's Office issued a statement, granting the request to place the city under fiscal administration.
“We are pleased with the ruling by Judge Zaunbrecher," said Larry Frieman, Chief Deputy Attorney General at the Louisiana Department of Justice. " We look forward to having Bogalusa back in a good fiscal position, which will be good for the citizens of that city.”
“I look forward to my day in court to prove my innocence,” Bogalusa Mayor Tyrin Truong said.
In January, Washington Parish District Attorney Collin Sims said Truong was booked on charges related to an alleged drug trafficking ring.
“The mayor was not a subject or target at the beginning of that investigation, but over the scope of that investigation, he was encountered and arrested due to activity he was engaged in,” Washington Parish District Attorney Collin Sims said.
Details are still slim on the case, and while that plays out, there’s another drama unfolding at City Hall.
According to Mayor Tyrin Truong, the city is in legal trouble with the state.
Court documents sent to us by the State Legislative Auditor’s Office show a slew of financial shortcomings, including over a million dollars owed to the IRS and a years-long budget deficit.
“The state is alleging we aren’t paying our bills. That’s not true. We have receipts showing we have paid most if not all of our bills,” Truong said.
After State Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a petition to appoint a fiscal administrator, council members chose former city auditor Robert Neilson.
Truong says Neilson’s complicated employment history is a conflict of interest.
“I think the proposed financial administrator has many conflicts of interest. The fact that he was terminated,” Truong said.
Neilson rejects Truong’s claims.
“The Mayor does not have the authority to terminate the auditor of the City of Bogalusa,” Former Bogalusa Auditor Robert Neilson said.
Neilson says he withdrew his audit after reviewing the city’s chaotic bookkeeping.
“He’s lying when he says he fired me. He’s lying,” Neilson said.
We reached out to multiple Bogalusa City Council members, but we didn’t hear back from them.
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