Rozands Family History & Genealogy

Charlton P. Rozands Was a highly Corrupt Criminal who was elected as Sheriff of Terrebonne Parish, April 19, 1987

Sheriff Dies in hospital

The guilt or innocence of the Terrebonne Parish sheriff who face more than 130 criminal charges will never be determined in court. Sheriff Charlton P. Rozands, 61, died of an undisclosed illness Sunday.

Rozands had been hospitalized for nearly two weeks. His illness caused him to miss his latest arraignment hearing last Thursday. Numerous indictments handed down since December accused him of malfeasance in office and payroll fraud among other things.

His sons Leon and Ricardo also were to be arraigned on related charges on Thursday but won a delay because of their father's illness.

A supervisor at Terrebonne General Hospital said Rozands died about 2:30 p.m. Sunday. She identified herself only as Miss Davis and would not give any other information.

Rozands will be buried Tuesday in St. Francis Cemetery No. 2 in Houma. Visitation today is from 6-10 p.m. at Falgout Funeral Home, Houma. Visitation Tuesday is from 8-10 a.m. at St. Francis Co-Cathedral in Houma. Services are
scheduled at 10 a.m.

Rozands was the husband of Mae Trosclair Rozands and they had five children: Charlton P. Rozands Jr., Leon "Tony" Rozands, Ricardo "Ricky", James Rozands, Mrs. Otis (Ellen) Bourg Jr. and Mrs. Kenneth (Angela) Tamplain.

Rozands is also survived by his mother, Mrs. Cable Crochet Naquin; step-father, Edward Naquin; brother Mickey Naquin and sister Mrs. Hank (Peggy) Swan. He was survived eight grand- children. His father was the late Henry P. Rozands.

Although the cause of death has not been released, family members have requested that donations be made to the American Cancer Society in lieu of flowers.

Rozands, in his third term as sheriff, had said he was innocent.

When he was indicted in December, he said the charges were politically motivated and timed to hurt his chances for re-election this fall. District Attorney Douglas Greenburg ran against Rozands in 1979. Both men lost to Ronnie Duplantis.

Controversy dogged Rozands during his first two terms as sheriff in the 1970's. In 1977, the state legislative auditor said Rozands misused $10,000 in public funds on his defense during federal and state investigations.

Allegations then included public contract fraud, bribery, mail fraud, misuse of funds and income tax evasion. However he was found innocent of any crime and an opinion from the state Attorney General's Office said he had a right to use the money to defend himself against allegations arising from his job as sheriff.

Rozands was re-elected sheriff in 1983 after Duplantis ran into legal problems of his own. Federal officials charged that Duplantis had his own boat blown up for insurance money. Duplantis was acquitted in 1985.

Current charges against Rozands and his deputies involved $8,500 in public money allegedly used to buy materials for the re-election campaigns, Greenburg said.

The malfeasance charges accused him and deputies of using shotguns, pistols, hunting rifles and other weapons from department evidence vaults and failing to secure items in the evidence vaults.

Deputies Henry Lyons and Elmore Songe Jr., pleaded innocent Thursday, Lyons to obstruction of justice and Songe to theft. Both were released on their own recognizance.

Capt. Jerry J. Larpentier, head of the uniformed patrol division was named chief criminal deputy of the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office last week.

Louisiana law provides that when the office of sheriff becomes vacant, the chief criminal deputy is the legal successor pending an election to fill the vacancy.