Former Ouachita deputy clerk arrested, accused of wiring public funds to self

OUACHITA PARISH, La. (KNOE) - Former Ouachita Parish deputy clerk Donald J. Ryder, Jr. was arrested this morning on charges such as money laundering, computer fraud and malfeasance in office.

Ryder is accused of diverting public funds from the Clerk of Court to himself via PayPal.

An audit report released in June of 2022, which KNOE previously reported on, said Ryder violated state and federal law.

“Former Clerk of Court Deputy Clerk Donald J. Ryder, Jr. used an online money transfer system (PayPal) to divert $344,226 of public funds from the Clerk of Court to himself from December 24, 2014 to October 10, 2018,” the report said. “By improperly transferring and receiving public funds he was not entitled to received, Mr. Ryder may have violated state and federal law.”

As Ouachita Parish deputy clerk, Ryder operated the office’s PayPal account. Ryder said he had an agreement to have his salary paid through the office’s PayPal account, the audit report stated.

Louise Bond, who was Ouachita Parish Clerk at the time, told the auditor that there was no such agreement.

Ryder has now been arrested on the following charges: