DeSoto DA misappropriated over $100,000

MANSFIELD, La. - Former DeSoto District Attorney Gary Evans may have misappropriated more than $120,000 during his last year in office, including spending taxpayer money on his failed re-election campaign. Another $800,000 transferred from a diversion fund into the general fund is also being questioned. That's according to an independent auditor's review of his accounts performed when current District Attorney Charles Adams took office. The audit was publicly released Monday morning. The possible misuse of public funds is the subject of an ongoing investigation by Louisiana State Police. Adams, a retired DeSoto judge, soundly defeated Evans in a fall 2020 election and took office in January 2021. It took months for the audit to be completed and submitted to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor's Office for review. The auditor singled out four areas where fraud or misappropriation may have occurred: the use of public funds for Evans' campaign, the apparent donation of public funds to an individual, payroll fraud and misuse of diversion funds.