Baton Rouge Police who searched the home of fired Parish Attorney Mary Roper on Saturday were looking for evidence that someone from Roper’s home hacked into the webmail accounts of employees from the parish attorney’s office. According to a search warrant filed earlier today, police seized computers, computer equipment, electronic files, storage media, cables, modems, cell phones and other records from Roper’s Oakbrook Drive residence.
The probe began in October, after police were notified that an unknown user had accessed the webmail account of Assistant Parish Attorney Dawn Guillot on Oct. 13 at 1 a.m., and forwarded her emails to another city-parish employee, the warrant states. Investigators were able to track the IP address and determine the email had been forwarded from Roper’s home computer, the warrant says. They also found several other instances where someone used her home computer to tap into the city-parish’s email server. Among the webmail accounts allegedly tapped were those of acting Parish Attorney Lea Anne Batson.
Roper’s attorney, Wade Shows, says in a written statement the public should be “outraged … that at least a dozen police officers appeared on a Saturday afternoon at the home of a well-respected attorney … to execute a search warrant, which was issued in response to a baseless allegation that Mary Roper may have committed a misdemeanor.”
Shows’ statement also criticizes police for seizing the laptop, cellphone and iPod of Roper’s 8-year-old daughter.
The computer tampering allegations are the latest chapter in the bizarre story of the former parish attorney. Roper was fired by the Metro Council in September, after several council members accused her of not working regular full-time hours while employed by the city-parish. She and the council have since been embroiled in a legal battle.
In connection with that litigation, Councilman John Delgado filed a public records request Thursday seeking copies of all of Roper’s calendars, time sheets and schedules kept over the last two years. He tells Daily Report he received the requested documents late Friday but has not had time to review them.
The weekend search of Roper’s home does not appear connected to the records Delgado requested but instead centers on the more serious allegations of computer tampering. In his statement, Shows says issues between Roper and the council should be decided in court. “There is no need to use ‘cute’ intimidation tactics that will not keep Ms. Roper from obtaining justice,” he says. “The judicial system will work.” —Stephanie Riegel
