IHe thought he had found a way to compensate for the overtime he was not getting paid. The driver of the interregional director of the Bordeaux prison services (1) fell into a trap and was unable to stop.
Between 2021 and 2023, he embezzled but also stole fuel and washing cards allocated to administration vehicles to organize a business which would have earned him a little more than 7,000 euros for a single year.
The technique was quite simple. His role as director's driver giving him access to all the car fleet maps, all he had to do was publish ads on Leboncoin to look for customers. Fuel cards, which allowed access to an entire network of service stations, were sold for around 80 euros each.
He had no trouble finding customers, some of whom were also interested in washing cards.
9,000 euros in cash
It was a prison officer who, in November 2023, discovered inconsistencies between the mileage of certain vehicles and the number of fuel tanks carried out. His observations were passed on to management, who contacted the public prosecutor a few months later.
An investigation was opened, entrusted to police officers from the financial brigade of the Territorial Crime Division (DCT). The investigations then made it possible to establish that the driver had increased the embezzlement.
“During the search of your home, the police found 9,000 euros in cash and 13 washing cards”
This Thursday, December 19, the latter appeared before the Bordeaux criminal court to explain himself. The driver admits the facts, even if the amount of the damage seems exaggerated to him. “During the search of your home, the police found 9,000 euros in cash and 13 washing cards,” observes the presiding judge Gérard Pitti.
Customers canvassed
Joined as a prison guard in 1998 at the Gradignan remand center, the defendant rose through the ranks before being seconded to the interregional management in 2012. Appointed concierge and driver for the director, he explains that everything was going very well until 'to the day “when working conditions deteriorated”.
“I lost my footing,” he admits. I thought I would get through it on my own. I felt like I was getting my due. Today, I regret it. » “You have a role within the justice system and you have broken the law”, tackles the president. “I stole the cards to make up what the administration owed me,” replies the defendant.
“He’s a prison officer, he had no room for error. He misappropriated public money for his personal gain”
“The investigation highlights organized trafficking, says Me Armelle Dufranc, civil party for the prison administration. He canvassed customers, there was a desire to make a profit. »
“He’s a prison officer, he had no right to make mistakes,” scolds deputy prosecutor Mathilde Pouzet. He misappropriated public money for his personal gain and wanted to settle scores with the ministry. He crossed the red line. » Twenty-four months in prison, including fourteen months with a probationary suspension, are required with an electronic bracelet.
Me Eva Barouk, defense lawyer, says she is “stunned […] In this case, we are rushing headlong into certainties that have not been proven. In total there are seven cards, which is very few. »
In its deliberations, the court sentenced the driver to one year in prison, a fine of 3,000 euros, a five-year ban on public service and he will have to repay 6,506 euros for financial damage.
(1) The administration ended his secondment. The now ex-driver is on sick leave.
