Ex-deputy pleads guilty to theft, malfeasance in office charges

Rebecca Devillier entered a pair of guilty pleas inside Judge Chuck West’s courtroom on Wednesday.
“I want the public to know I am sorry for all that I have done,” Devillier said after sentencing.
The former Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office chief civil deputy had been charged with theft of U.S. currency having a value of $1,500 or more, as well as malfeasance in office. The charges were the product of a Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s report in 2015 which stated that Devillier “diverted EPSO funds totaling at $108,976 to herself and possibly to other EPSO employees for personal use from August 17, 2011, to September 30, 2014.”
The audit further stated that she had committed these acts by issuing “unauthorized checks using Sheriff Eddie Soileau’s signature stamp,” and by failing “to deposit cash collections.”
Devillier was set to stand trial on Monday.
Instead, Devillier and her attorney Remy Jardell agreed to a plea deal with the Evangeline Parish District Attorney’s Office and lead prosecutor Kelly Tate.
The original plea deal presented in court on Wednesday was that Devillier would agree to 15 years at hard labor (with seven suspended) and five years of active supervised probation for the theft charge. She would also agree to five years at hard labor (two suspended) and five years of active supervised probation for the malfeasance charge.
Both Tate and Jardell both realized once looking up the law that the maximum sentence allowed was 10 years for the theft charge. The two attorneys left the courtroom for roughly 40 minutes to work out the details of a new plea deal.
The new plea deal consisted for 10 years of hard labor (three suspended) and five years of active supervised probation for the theft charge; as well as five years hard labor (four suspended) and five years of active supervised probation for the malfeasance charge.
West stated the both sentences run concurrent.
Devillier will also be forced to pay the EPSO $114,981 in restitution, as well as $63,290 of restitution to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor for the cost incurred during the audit process.
Devillier pled guilty to both charges and accepted both plea agreements.
Devillier also apologized to Judge West and the rest of the court for her behavior during a hearing last Thursday, in which West denied Devillier and her attorney for time to prepare for the trial.
Jardell requested that his client have a week to prepare for her incarceration and that was granted. Devillier will now report to EPSO at 8 a.m. Wednesday to begin serving her sentence.
Devillier also told Judge West, on the question if she understood the severity of making sure to report on time, she stated “I made a promise to my kids that I would be there for their graduation.”