Grand Lake woman cleared of 2016 arrest for embezzlement

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - A Grand Lake woman has been cleared from an April 2016 arrest where she was accused of stealing more than $31,000 from her employer.

Deputies initially responded to a complaint from a local business owner on Oct. 22, 2015, that Betty Sue Delcambre was selling jobs on the side, using company materials to perform these jobs, and then not turning the money customers paid over to the business.

Delcambre was arrested on April 22, 2016, with her bond set at $20,000 by Judge Michael Canaday.

The embezzlement charges against Delcambre have now been dismissed and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso has issued the following apology:

"Part of my role as Sheriff of Calcasieu Parish is to ensure the law is enforced fairly and within the bounds of the law. This is something I find crucial, as the public’s confidence in law enforcement is paramount to its effectiveness. As Sheriff, I am never happy to learn a citizen is displeased with the way his or her criminal case was handled.

I understand a citizen filed a criminal complaint against Betty Delcambre and, after that complaint was investigated, it was provided to the D.A.'s office for review. A warrant was then obtained and signed by a district court judge. Regrettably, the warrant should have never been obtained, and Betty Delcambre should not have been arrested with the resulting media release.

In my review of this matter, I acknowledge our deputies made a mistake. This is not how my department does our work, and this arrest did not hold up to the standards by which I expect my deputies to perform.

To the extent this arrest has caused you or your family distress, please know we apologize and hope you can move forward."

Attorneys for the Delcambre family, Adam Johnson and Kilburn Landry with The Johnson Firm, and Shayna Sonnier, with Hunter, Hunter, and Sonnier, LLC., provided the following statement on the dismissal of the charges:

“On behalf of the Delcambre family, we are pleased to put this matter to rest. As you can imagine, this has been quite an ordeal for the entire Delcambre family. Sheriff Mancuso’s humility in not only acknowledging his deputy’s mistake and holding that officer accountable, but also ensuring things are made right publicly, demonstrates honor and integrity in a time when those qualities are harder and harder to find. His commitment to righting this wrong means the world to this family, and we are deeply grateful.”