Former Director of Orleans Parish Communications District Indicted on Multiple Charges Relating to Coverup Regarding 2023 Accident in City-owned Vehicle

Former Director of Orleans Parish Communications District Indicted on Multiple Charges Relating to Coverup Regarding 2023 Accident in City-owned Vehicle 

New Orleans, LA – Today, a Grand Jury returned indictments of Tyrell Morris, the former Director of the Orleans Parish Communications District (OPCD), on multiple charges, including Malfeasance in Office, False Personation of a Peace Officer, Insurance Fraud, and Second Degree Injuring Public Records. These charges arise from an incident on May 7, 2023, involving Morris’s traffic accident in a city-owned vehicle.

According to the indictment report, Morris used the city-owned vehicle to impersonate a peace officer and failed to comply with standard operating procedures requiring him to undergo drug and alcohol testing following the May 7th accident. On May 9, 2023, Morris is charged with knowingly submitting a vehicle damage report containing several false statements about the incident.

The indictment further charges Morris with failing to preserve public records as required by law, as well as altering and/or deleting the OPCD Standard Operating Procedure Vehicle Policy. Additionally, Morris is charged with knowingly and intentionally filing an insurance claim containing false, incomplete, and/or fraudulent information related to the accident on May 7th.

Finally, Morris is charged with the retaliatory termination of a whistleblower who disclosed Morris’s improprieties aimed at covering up steps he took to evade accountability following the accident.

This matter is of significant interest to the taxpayers of the City of New Orleans. The Office of the District Attorney (OPDA) is committed to pursuing accountability for all forms of wrongdoing, including corruption, regardless of an individual’s status or office. This indictment reflects our commitment to justice and transparency in public service.