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Investigators order state agency to preserve evidence as leader faces misconduct allegations

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UPDATE: The Louisiana Board of Private Security Examiners voted 5-3 to terminate Fabian Blache from his role as executive director during a special meeting Sept. 21: https://www.wbrz.com/news/board-removes-state-agency-leader-amid-investigation-into-sexual-misconduct-complaint

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BATON ROUGE - The Office of State Inspector General sent a strongly worded demand to the agency that oversees private security in Louisiana, urging them to preserve all communications involving their agency's leader who's named in a sexual misconduct complaint.

"External communications, written or electronic, including emails and text messages, are to be preserved from destruction or alteration and retained by the person now having possession of the same," the document reads.

Last week, the WBRZ Investigative Unit confirmed the state inspector general is conducting an investigation into Fabian Blache III, after allegations surfaced that he used public money for relatives and close friends.

The misconduct report showed Blache is accused of using public money for his wife to tag along on a conference with him to Africa. He reimbursed the agency with a personal check that was never cashed. A note attached to the check reads, "Fabian did not give permission to deposit."

Blache also hired his soon to be sister-in-law, even though she didn't do any work, according to the report. It continues, saying he hired another friend to be an instructor after the friend had an arrest for contractor fraud.

District Attorney Hillar Moore told WBRZ he was made aware of the situation a couple of weeks ago. Multiple other entities aware of the situation all agreed that the inspector general would conduct the investigation.

"At this point, what we agreed to among our offices is to have the inspector general do the investigation," Moore said. "Instead of having multiple agencies interview witnesses over and over again, creating multiple statements."

The WBRZ Investigative Unit also found that's not the only impropriety Blache is accused of right now. A letter drafted by Attorney Jill Craft said Blache retaliated against a female employee who turned down his sexual advances.

"When [she] tried to decline, Mr. Blache responded with threats," the letter reads. "In an exchange on May 28, 2021, Mr Blache exclaims, 'I'm so f***ing horny.' On June 15, 2021, Mr. Blache sent naked pictures of his wife to [her] under caption of 'Ophelia.'"

The letter states that formal charges of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Louisiana Commission on Human Rights were filed.

Last week, Blache referred all questions to his lawyer, but denied any wrongdoing. WBRZ reached out to Blache's lawyer again Monday and has not heard back.

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