A tip to the Metropolitan Crime Commission has led to investigation of Orleans Parish 911 operations manger by the Office of Inspector General. Wendy Ervin, who is on probation for a federal charge, was wrongly given access to the Louisiana Enforcement Telecommunication System and National Crime Information Center. Her access has since been terminated, however Orleans Parish Communications District Director Tyrell Morris insists the Louisiana State Police restore Ervin’s access to those databases. Newell spoke with Rafael Goyeneche, President of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, about his investigation and litigation between Morris and the Inspector General’s office.
“How did this investigation get started and what was Ervin’s boss’ response to the investigation?” Newell asked.
“We got a tip from some people who were employed within the Orleans Parish Communications District in December of 2019 that the OPCD had hired Ervin, who had been convicted of a federal wire fraud felony related to a BP Oil claim that she wasn't entitled to,” Goyeneche said. “She received over $17,000 as a result of her wire fraud, pled guilty in 2015 to the federal felony and was sentenced to supervised probation in January of 2016, and hired by the communications district three months later as a dispatcher for the OPCD… last week the OIG released their findings, validating the tip the MCC received... since her hiring, she's been promoted three times and now she's the Interim Director of Operations, which means that she supervises all of the dispatchers, all of the managers and other mid-level supervisors. She's in charge of everybody who has access to these restricted databases… OPCD Director Tyrrell Morris has requested the Louisiana State Police give Ervin access to this database and they denied it… based on some of the other information that we supplied to the OIG, the Inspector General's Office requested their financial documents that Morris refused to hand over, because not all of their money comes from the city. The OIG’s office sued and prevailed in District Court. Morris appealed to the Fourth Circuit Court, which also ruled in favor of the OIG...not only did the OPCD hire someone who was not entitled to a restricted database, but they wasted funds in trying to argue that the Inspector General's Office didn't have authority to review their financial records and spent city funds doing so. The city was litigating against itself.”
“Who hired Morris?” Newell asked. “Is there a communications board who appoints the individuals to this board and has this person not opined yet on this situation?”
“Mayor LaToya Cantrell appoints the board, which is composed of people like the New Orleans police chief, the fire department chief, and several other individuals, who all serve on the mayor's staff. The buck stops with the mayor with respect to allowing this type of misconduct to occur,” Goyeneche said.
“Did the OPCD know Ervin was a federal convicted felon at the time of her hiring? Newell asked.
“Yes, and the sources, who provided the information to us, alleged one of the OPCD employees Googled Ervin’s name in 2019, after she had received a promotion and discovered she was a convicted felon. That employee who disseminated that information was fired,” Goyeneche replied.
“Morris has said that this situation was not a matter of not knowing the criminal history of an employee or potential employee, but it was a matter of procedure, where an employee was cleared through the existing administrative procedures and access was later removed… it seems as though he was complaining that they got caught and he didn't like the reference and the characterization the OIG made… obviously, he probably didn't read the rules, because what he would find is that it is his obligation,” Newell said.
“To this date Mr. Morris is still asking the State Police to reconsider giving Ervin access to those databases,” Goyeneche said. “These guidelines and restrictions of these databases are imposed by the Department of Justice, not by the State Police. They just apply and enforce those guidelines… Mr. Morris apparently believes that this is a Louisiana program that the Louisiana State Police have the authority to write the rules and make exceptions, but I don’t believe that’s the case.”
Hear the entire interview in the audio player below.
