The assistant chief of the Westwego Volunteer Fire Company No. 1, Justin Taylor, has been placed on administrative leave following his arrest for allegedly stealing Pokémon trading cards from a Target on the West Bank, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Taylor, 38, of Westwego, was booked Wednesday on four counts each of theft, computer fraud, and Universal Product Code (UPC) label fraud, reported Capt. Jason Rivarde, spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies took Taylor into custody around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Target located on Manhattan Boulevard in Harvey. According to authorities, Taylor allegedly created his own UPC labels for Pokémon cards, using them to reduce the price at checkout. Each pack of Pokémon cards, normally priced at around $9.99, was obtained for much less due to the fraudulent labels. Store officials estimated the total theft at around $300, noting that Taylor had committed the scheme on three previous occasions.
Westwego Fire Chief Ken Bouvier, when contacted, acknowledged the arrest and released a statement confirming that the department is fully cooperating with law enforcement and has placed Taylor on administrative leave pending the investigation’s outcome. “We are committed to upholding the public’s trust and maintaining the highest standards of integrity,” Bouvier said.
Store security recognized Taylor, who was reportedly wearing his Westwego Fire Department shirt at the time, from previous incidents. Upon his arrest, security footage confirmed the fraudulent transactions, Rivarde added.
Taylor, who has served with the Westwego Volunteer Fire Company for 13 years, was released on Thursday from the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center due to jail overcrowding, though bail had been set at $9,000.
