Chitimacha PD arrests 4

Chitimacha Police arrested four persons Monday on warrants in connection with a check scam at a tribally-owned business.
According to Chief Hal Hutchinson, police received information that there were irregularities with some of the personal checks received for cash. Over the course of the investigation, officers reportedly learned suspects used false identities to open bank accounts and use various accounts to make cash withdrawals from a tribally-owned business. It was also learned during this investigation that members of this group were reportedly suspects in this same type of scam in numerous jurisdictions throughout south Louisiana.
To date, officers were able to attribute the total amount of monies stolen from tribally owned business in excess of several thousand dollars.
Arrested and held in the parish jail were:
—Cotina Walton Batiste, 34, Charlotte Drive, Patterson, was charged with racketeering, identity theft, forgery and access device fraud.
—Kevin Batiste, 39, Williams Street, Patterson, was charged with racketeering, identity theft, forgery and access device fraud.
—Robert Skipper, 35, Dora Street, Centerville, was charged with racketeering, identity theft, forgery and access device fraud.
—Mark Smith, 52, Myrtle Street, Centerville, was charged with racketeering, identity theft, forgery and access device fraud.
This investigation is ongoing and other arrests are pending.
The Patterson Police Department and the Lake Charles Police Department assisted in this investigation.
If anyone has any information on this crime or any other crime on the Chitimacha Tribal Reservation, they can contact the police department at 337-924-4964, or if they wish to remain anonymous, they can send an email to reportit@chitimacha.gov or call the police department’s Silent Witness Program at 337-923-4205.