Former school employee arrested for theft of funds

A former St. Mary Parish School Board employee was arrested on Dec. 17 by the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office following an investigation into complaints of significant discrepancies in the Patterson High School financial records.
On Aug. 14, sheriff’s detectives were informed of a complaint of significant discrepancy in the school’s financial records from 2020 to 2024.
Lisa Ann Crochet Powell was the school’s bookkeeper at the time.
In their investigation, detectives established that Powell, 65, of Morgan City, was solely responsible for handling receipts for funds collected and depositing those funds into the school’s bank account.
As the investigation progressed, numerous discrepancies were found and logged by detectives. At the time of her arrest, the amount of funds missing totaled over $205,000.
A warrant was obtained for Powell’s arrest and detectives made contact with her on Dec. 17.
She was questioned and subsequently taken to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking on charges of false accounting, theft (over $25,000) and malfeasance in office.
Bail has not been set.