The town of Abita Springs is suing two former employees in an effort to recoup thousands of dollars that officials say they used to purchase themselves trips, meals and other things, lawsuits filed in state court in St. Tammany Parish show.
The lawsuits accuse two former town employees, town financial clerk Stacy Ludlow, and public works supervisor Frederick “Ricky” Young, of making personal purchases on the town’s dime. The suit against Ludlow also claims that she transferred money from the town’s Venmo account into her own.
All told, the lawsuits say that the pair improperly used more than $245,000 in public money from Abita Springs, a tiny northshore town with a population of just over 2,600 people. Abita’s insurance policy has covered $150,000 in damages, according to Andrew Wilson, the lawyer for the town. The civil lawsuits filed last month seek to recoup the rest of the stolen funds.
No criminal charges have been brought against either Ludlow or Young. The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office has said that the FBI had taken over the case. The FBI’s New Orleans office on Tuesday would “not confirm or deny the existence of an investigation,” citing Department of Justice policy.
“Don’t these people realize that at some point they’re going to get caught?” Wilson said. “It’s sort of a dead-end street.”
The attorneys representing Ludlow and Young did not return requests for comment on Tuesday.
The lawsuit against Young says he started making improper purchases shortly after he was hired in 2019. Town officials noticed an unusual charge for a pool ladder that Young purchased in 2023, which resulted his termination.
Young ultimately spent at least $123,362.70 in town money on purchases at Home Depot and through eBay, the lawsuit states.
The suit against Ludlow accuses her of using $122,245.24 in town money for personal items. The suit says Ludlow opened credit cards in her own name that were linked to the town’s bank accounts.
She used the credit cards to order takeout from area restaurants, and appeared to have purchased a Hulu subscription, according to town bank records obtained by The Times-Picayune and an interview with Abita Springs Mayor Dan Curtis.
Records reviewed by the newspaper also showed a $1,600 purchase from Litter Robot, a company that makes automated, self-cleaning litter boxes for cats, a charge for more than $1,700 paid to MyPillow, and a $1,947.40 charge to Caribe Realty, a company that offers vacation rentals in Orange Beach, Alabama. Charges also included nearly $1,700 at Total Wine.
“Defendant, Stacy Ludlow, repeatedly made unauthorized purchases, made unauthorized charges on credit cards … all for the benefit of her and her husband,” the lawsuit states. Her husband, Donald Ludlow, is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
