Former police chief arrested on multiple felony charges

Former Kaplan Police Chief Boyd Adams was arrested Wednesday by members of the department he used to lead.

Adams was booked on four felonies: filing false public records, public intimidation or retaliation, threatening a public official and false impersonation of a public official. As of Wednesday afternoon, he remained in the Kaplan City jail in lieu of $18,500 bond.

Police Chief Joshua Hardy tells KATC that Adams was arrested at his home. It's not clear if he has an attorney helping him.

Adams is accused of committing these crimes within the past several weeks. The chief says that Adams has told his officers that he's a "sovereign citizen" and doesn't have to follow Louisiana or federal laws.

He's accused of mailing a package to Kaplan Police ordering them to do certain things and threatening them if they didn't. Police say a female relative also was involved, but she was simply cited for her involvement.

Back in 2017, Adams was arrested while he was still police chief and accused of malfeasance in office and theft after Louisiana State Police detectives accused him of spending KPD funds on personal expenses.

Records at the Vermilion Parish Clerk of Court show he pleaded guilty in April 2021 to malfeasance in a plea deal that dropped the theft charge. He was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended, with two years of supervised probation.

In May 2022, his probation was terminated as satisfactory, records show.