LIVINGSTON — The former Killian police chief pleaded no contest Thursday to a felony charge of malfeasance in office that will see him serve no jail time but require that he repay the town $994.Â
Dennis Hill was accused of billing for overtime he did not work while he served as chief of police in the tiny southeastern Livingston Parish municipality. He was also accused in an audit of misusing a town credit card.Â
Killian Mayor Gillis Windham said he felt that Hill, a close friend, had "done very little wrong" and portrayed the resolution of the case against him as a vindication.
"A godly man has prevailed," Windham said . He went even further in an interview Thursday, describing Hill as "our Mother Teresa in Killian."
Twenty-first Judicial District Judge Robert Morrison sentenced Hill Thursday morning in Livingston Parish to a year in prison, all of which was suspended, with a period of one year on probation.
Hill's attorney Sherman Mack said outside the courtroom that his client was looking forward to moving on with his life.
"Mr. Hill thought it would be best if he took responsibility for an unintentional act, but an act that was contrary to the law, nonetheless," Mack said. "He took responsibility for that, and he plans to make restitution."Â
Livingston Parish District Attorney Scott Perrilloux said he felt it was an appropriate resolution, noting that Hill will be a convicted felon due to his plea. State law says that if a law enforcement officer is convicted of malfeasance in office, his Police Officer's Standards and Training certificate should be revoked, effectively preventing him from working as a cop.Â
Hill said he started a business of his own since he was fired from the town and does not plan to return to law enforcement.Â
Hill, who had served as police chief since 2008, began to face questions in the spring of 2017 when it came to light that he had used town credit cards to purchase a suit from Men's Wearhouse and to buy fuel while traveling out of state.
In June 2017, the town's board of alderman moved to fire him with former Mayor Craig McGehee casting the deciding vote.
The chief's ouster was the beginning of a months-long political feud in the town between factions that supported and opposed Hill.Â
The Louisiana Legislative Auditor followed up on the original allegations with an investigative report released in January that detailed numerous improper dealings. Hill was indicted by a grand jury on one count of malfeasance in office the following month that pertained to an overtime billing scheme.
The investigative audit said Hill billed for 35 hours of overtime — equivalent to $994 — from May 2015 to May 2017 for hours he didn't work. Social media posts and town fuel records indicate he was on vacation in Alabama and Florida during those hours. The overtime was funded by Louisiana Highway Safety Commission grants to conduct seatbelt checks and drunk driving stops.
In response to the overtime allegations, Hill told auditors that in one case he billed for hours when a reserve officer covered his shift. Because the LHSC requires officers to be POST certified, the town could not have gotten reimbursed for that officer's shift.
Hill faced other accusations, as well, including not forwarding 76 traffic tickets to the Mayor's court.
In an interview Thursday evening, heralded Hill as "our Mother Teresa in Killian."
"You had three to four men try to destroy him and put a lot of negative propaganda on the streets that has now come home to roost," he said.
Windham said the town is very happy with their current chief Richard Fletcher. But should Fletcher leave, Hill would be "top of the list" to replace him.
