St. Charles Sheriff's deputy arrested for issuing bogus traffic tickets

By Lori Lyons, The Times-Picayune
NOLA.com
Nov. 04, 2011

A St. Charles Parish Sheriff's deputy was arrested Wednesday after an investigation revealed that he had been issuing false seat belt citations to motorists he never stopped over a period of several months and claimed overtime pay for doing it.

William S. Marciante Jr., of Luling, a five-year veteran of the department, was booked with 27 counts of malfeasance in office, 21 counts of injuring public records, 21 counts of forgery and six counts of payroll fraud. He remained in the St. Charles Parish jail with bond set at $50,000 by Judge Emile St. Pierre.

Marciante has been fired.

Authorities say that between February and May, Marciante wrote a total of 21 citations for seatbelt violations to unsuspecting motorists who were never stopped. Evidence from Marciante's patrol vehicle and his dashboard camera shows that none of the traffic stops took place. Furthermore, Capt. Pat Yoes said, Marciante did not work during the times he issued the citations and submitted for overtime pay. More than 12 cases have been confirmed through handwriting analysis that Marciante forged signatures on the citations.

Yoes, the Sheriff's Office spokesman, said investigators believe that Marciante randomly chose some of his victims as they drove past him.

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