Well, for the the case and charges, I paid for that 27 years ago. I paid my debt to society and I want to be done with it. In 1998, a man pled guilty to a crime involving a minor. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison, but never served a single day. That sentence was reduced to 2 years of supervised probation. Years later, the conviction was erased. And now, decades after the case, it's back in question. So, how does a case go from prison to probation to erased and then back into court nearly 30 years later? Because today, that same man is serving as an acting police chief. In Moreauville, Louisiana, assistant chief Craig Lee is currently leading the department. Thin blue lies, baby. New for more investigative team, an assistant police chief temporarily serving as the primary chief appeared in court to have his criminal past removed from his record. And as our investigative reporter Rob Le Pearl reports, the case involves a guilty plea of sex with a minor, something that could bar him from honoring his pledge to the badge. No comment at all at this moment. So, you don't want to comment on the charges or the case itself? Well, for the the case and charges, I paid for that 27 years ago. I paid my debt to society and I want to be done with it. On a typical Tuesday at the Avoyelles District Court, it was anything but that for this assistant police chief serving the town of Moreauville. In February, Moreauville announced the then chief Nick DeCody was resigning from his position and that assistant chief Craig Lee would step in to fill the gap while they searched for a new acting chief. But, chief Craig Lee has a past on the other side of the badge. Back in January 1998, Lee pled guilty to having sex with a minor. He was 26 at the time. Lee went to court to defend the erasure of his record. But after speaking with state officials, he backed off. For now. He says he may try again. And it's unclear whether the state will step in again. So, this isn't over. Not legally and not publicly. When asked directly what the charges were, Lee didn't explain them. He didn't deny them. He didn't describe them. He said, "I'll let you get the court records on it." No explanation, just distance. And then, when asked about it more broadly, he said, "I paid for that 27 years ago. I paid my debts to society and I want to be done with it." And maybe that's true. But here's the question. Is paying your debt enough when you're the one in charge? >> And what are those charges? Uh I'll let you get the uh court records on it. So, do you think that they're serious at all? No, I don't think so. Court records KOB obtained show he was supposed to serve 3 years in prison, but that was lowered to 2 years of supervised probation. A majority of his case is still sealed, but the docket history shows the crime was eventually expunged from his record, but later challenged by the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. Tuesday morning, Lee appeared in district court to fight back, but backing down to state lawyers in the courtroom, pulling his expungement request. Do you have any plans to bring the expulsion case again? To expunge the cases? >> Yes, I do. Were you aware that LSP were coming? No, I wasn't. Lee says he can run basic license plate checks, but cannot access certain law enforcement databases, meaning he can't run full background checks or review full criminal histories. So, how do you run a police department without full access to police systems? The mayor says she was aware of the case, but declined to comment further. The district attorney confirmed she knew and says there are no plans to make Lee permanent chief. So, he can lead the department, just not officially. He can serve as chief, but not be named chief. Which raises a bigger question. What standard is actually being applied here? Before our cameras began rolling, we questioned Lee on if those charges affected his duties as an officer of the law. He told us he could run checks on license plates, but could not access criminal records or perform background checks. Our sources close to the matter confirm that claim. But when our cameras were turned on them, do those charges affect your public duties? No comment. No comment on how they affect your duties? >> No comment at all. We headed to Moreauville Town Hall to question Mayor Beryl Holmes on the decision to appoint Lee as interim chief. We could not get her on camera, but she responded saying she was aware of the case in itself, but would not comment past that, deferring us to Avoyelles District Attorney Charles Riddle. Riddle tells us Mayor Holmes was aware of the charges against Lee, but she had no intentions of ever promoting him to a permanent role as acting police chief. What do you expect of the town when this eventually becomes public? I don't know. We'll go talk about it whenever I get back. Appreciate it. Thank you. In Avoyelles, Rob Le Pearl, KOB. Right now, Craig Lee is still on the force force as both Moreauville's interim acting chief and assistant chief. We'll keep you posted as his case develops. The town says it's aware of the court's decision and that the situation is now under review. Officials say they're prioritizing public trust, transparency, and accountability, but no final decision has been made. So, as of now, nothing has changed. A police department being led by someone whose conviction was reduced, then erased, then brought back into question, and is now under review again. And the question is no longer just about the past. It's about right now. About standards. About leadership. And about what qualifies someone to hold authority over others. Because if the rules can change this many times, then what exactly are the rules? Thin blue lies, baby. Hey, if you're still here, that tells me two things. One, you actually care about accountability. And two, YouTube hasn't scared you off yet. So, here's the deal. If this video brought you value, do the YouTube things. Like it, share it, subscribe. That's how this channel keeps exposing nonsense without corporate filters. If you want to support the work directly, there's a know-your-rights guide and other resources linked below at ko-fi.com/thinblueliesmedia. And for the few of you who've asked, there's also official merch linked below. No hype, no drop. It's just there if the message resonates. However you support the work, watching, sharing, reading, wearing it, or just sticking around, I appreciate you being here. Thin blue lies, baby. >> [music] >> I'm not the hero. I'm not the guy. Just [music] pointing out the thin blue lies. I don't run. I don't [music] fight. I just hit record and let them decide. Yeah, hit record and let them decide. >> [music] >> Internal review, paid vacation. >> [music] >> Taxpayers fund the explanation. Say [music] officer safety real loud, real fast. Funny how rights are a thing of the past. I'm not the hero. I'm not the guy. Just pointing [music] out the thin blue lies. I don't run. I don't fight. I just hit record and let them decide. Yeah, I hit record and let them decide. [music]