Two Bogalusans Indicted for Malfeasance in Office

Update: District Attorney Collin Sims reports that the indictments are the initial results of what remains an ongoing multi-agency investigation. Arrest warrants have been issued for both men but have not yet been executed at the time of this release. Arraignment dates remain to be set. Doug Freese, Chief of the District Attorney’s Criminal Division, and Assistant District Attorney Butch Wilson handled the presentation of the case to the grand jury.

A Washington Parish Grand Jury has indicted (filed on July 23, 2025) 64 year-old James M. Patterson, Jr. and 58 year-old James Morris for Malfeasance in Office. Patterson and Morris were both City of Bogalusa public employees employed at all relevant times on or between January 3, 2023 and May 5, 2023.

The Indictment charges that 

1. James Morris, at the direction of Elected Official A, engaged in the misuse of public resources at a private residence in the City of Bogalusa belonging to the mother of Elected Official A
2. James Morris directed a City of Bogalusa public works crew to perform repairs at the home of Elected Official A's mother that were the responsibility of the homeowner, not the responsibility of the City of Bogalusa
3. James Morris' actions resulted in the theft of taxpayer funded services and materials valued in excess of $1000.00
4. James Morris later participated in efforts to disguise the fact that there was an improper benefit provided by him to Elected Official A and/or a member of Elected Official A's family
5. James Patterson created a falsified paper trail to cover the work performed on April 11, 2023 by city employees at Elected Official A's mother's house in Bogalusa, Louisiana. The paper trail included an I-Worq entry, a work order, and emails. The work order was back dated by James Patterson, and he created an email trail reporting that Elected Official A's mother's plumbing was damaged by city workers
6. James Patterson created the falsified email trail to protect Elected Official A from public scrutiny related to the theft of taxpayer funded services and materials valued in excess of $1000.00
7. James Morris at no time made any effort to correct the false assertions made by James Patterson regarding the repair work performed on Elected Official A's mother's residence

***All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty***

See a copy of the Indictment under Read More below