A Louisiana mayor was arrested Tuesday for allegedly hiring a prostitute and using taxpayer money to rent and Airbnb to visit the sex worker.
Bogalusa Mayor Tyrin Truong, 25, was charged with charges including soliciting prostitutes and transactions involving proceeds from drug crimes, according to state police.
Truong “arranged entertainment with a prostitute” at an Airbnb he rented with public funds during a mayoral conference in Atlanta, Northshore District Attorney Collin Sims said.
He was also accused of buying drugs iN Louisiana, the district attorney said.
“This behavior will not be tolerated,” Sims said. “The citizens of Bogalusa deserve better, and we’re not done yet. We’re just getting started.’
The scandal was uncovered as part of an “extensive investigation” that began in April 2024 by the state police Narcotics and Violent Crime Task Force.
A drug trafficking organization in Bogalusa was found to distribute various drugs, including opioids, high-grade marijuana, THC products and MDMA, and used social media to distribute and manage payments.
It was also determined that profits from drug sales were used to purchase firearms, some of which were then smuggled to people prohibited from legal possession or linked to violent crimes in the area, authorities said.
Bogalusa Mayor Tyrin Truong, 25, was charged with soliciting prostitutes and purchasing drugs as part of an “extensive investigation” that began in April 2024.
Truong was elected mayor of the city in 2023 at the age of 23, tying him for being the youngest mayor in state history
The investigation led to the arrests or arrest warrants for Mayor Truong, as well as six others, all charged with transactions involving proceeds from drug crimes.
The investigation led to the arrests or warrants for Mayor Truong, as well as six others, all charged with transactions involving proceeds from drug crimes.
Three of them are charged with conspiracy to distribute a Schedule I controlled substance. Another faces an additional burden for distributing a Schedule II controlled substance.
State police said the investigation is ongoing, adding that a “variety of other cases and individuals are still under investigation, with cases both separate and related to the subject of today’s arrests.”
Louisiana Attorney General Liza Murrill said, “We will not tolerate misconduct, especially from public officials. I am very proud of all of our law enforcement agencies who worked on this investigation.”
Truong was elected mayor of the city in 2023 at the age of 23, tying him for being the youngest mayor in state history.
Following his arrest, recently elected Bogalusa City Council President Gloria Kates will become mayor, former council President Kenny Kellis said. Nola news.
Truong was booked into the Washington Parish Jail just before 9 a.m. Tuesday, according to jail records. No bail has been set yet, the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office said.