Former LSP Sgt. Huey Galmiche alleges that, after Walmart skip scanning accusations totaling $171.30, LSP coerced his retirement under duress while having him handcuffed to a desk.

Former LSP Sgt. Huey Galmiche provides highly detailed account of his arrest on Wal Mart skip scanning allegations and his subsequent treatment at the hands of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office and LSP officials.

On October 2, 2024, then-LSP Sergeant Huey Galmiche was arrested amid allegations he had engaged in “skip scanning,” which is essentially failing to scan items in a self-checkout isle and placing them on into bags and exiting the store, which in this case was a Walmart in Covington.

According to WAFB, as the station posted today, LSP Col. Robert Hodges is, according to his “inner circle,” planning to step down in August because he is interested in running for St. Tammany Parish Sheriff or seeking appointment as the next U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Louisiana, which includes the New Orleans area.

Our site visitors may recall us first publishing on December 16, 2025 that Hodges was “in the running” for that U. S. Marshal position; however, based on some of the most absolutely reliable sources which we have within LSP, we also stated in this February 7, 2026 feature that Hodges himself had conveyed on or around December 17, 2025 (the day after us publishing that he was in the running) to his underlings that he was “not” in the running for that Marshal position.  From the just-linked feature as it referenced video discussion between Burns and former Ascension Parish Sheriff Captain C. J. Matthews:

As Burns states in the video above, Hodges himself made it known on or around the next day, December 17, 2025, that he was no longer a candidate for that U. S. Marshal position.

Of course, with President Trump (who will ultimately make the appointment), anyone can be “out” of the running at 9:00 a.m. in the morning and then be the “lead contender” for the position by 3 p.m. that same day, so who knows regarding whether Hodges is a viable contender for that Marshal position or not.

Irrespective of whether Hodges ends up stepping down in August as WAFB is reporting, the voters in St. Tammany Parish may wish to take into account what one former LSP Sergeant, Huey Galmiche, had to say regarding the circumstances of his retirement in the aftermath of his arrest for the charges of skip scanning referenced above.  Let’s take a look:

5/13/26:  Galmiche provides extensive details surrounding his October 2, 2024 arrest on charges of skip scanning at a Covington Wal Mart and the subsequent handling of the matter by St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s officials and LSP officials.

In connection with the video above, Galmiche provided this official statement regarding the entire episode as well as a copy of this medical diagnosis of the condition he asserts led to the inadvertent failure to scan the items.

Galmiche’s statement is extremely detailed and fairly lengthy, so we took the time to prepare an executive summary of its contents, and here is that executive summary:

Executive Summary: Huey Galmiche’s Public Statement of Facts

Overview Huey Galmiche, a 26-year-5-month veteran Louisiana State Police Sergeant with an exemplary patrol record, issued a detailed public statement documenting his involuntary retirement on October 2, 2024. He asserts the retirement was coerced while in police custody, amid shoplifting accusations he attributes entirely to severe side effects from a statin medication change.

Key Events

• Medication Change (June 27, 2024): His cardiologist switched him from atorvastatin 40 mg to high-intensity rosuvastatin 20 mg to further lower already optimal LDL cholesterol (85 mg/dL).
• Cognitive/Behavioral Decline (July–September 2024): Family observed progressive forgetfulness, confusion, agitation, insomnia (2–3 hours/night), zoning out, misplacing items, hand tremors, and poor judgment. A safety audit score dropped sharply from 91–99% to 72%.
• Arrest & Custody (Sept 30–Oct 2, 2024): Accused of “skip-scanning” ~13 low-value items ($171.30 total) at Walmart over six dates while on duty. During interrogation at the Sheriff’s Office, he was Mirandized, shown evidence, and explained his cognitive issues.
• Coerced Retirement: Moved to an unrecorded interview room, handcuffed to a desk, and pressured by Louisiana State Police personnel. They used his son (then a cadet graduating days later) as leverage, warning of felony charges (initially six counts each of malfeasance and shoplifting) and departmental ruin. He signed immediate retirement documents in under one minute without reading glasses, explanation, or counsel. A second letter was signed in a jail cell.

Medical Diagnosis Neurological evaluation (October 9, 2024, and January 6, 2025) diagnosed statin-induced encephalopathy / toxic metabolic encephalopathy. Symptoms resolved after discontinuing rosuvastatin. A subsequent cardiologist confirmed no medical need for the dosage change or switch. Galmiche also noted pre-existing high-frequency hearing loss, impairing self-checkout beeps.

Procedural & Financial Issues

• Retirement documents were pre-prepared and improperly obtained; policies require member-initiated requests and formal meetings with Retirement System executives.
• Loss of DROP option and ~$9,000/year in annual retirement benefits.
• Administrative leave notice delivered 16 days late.
• No copies of signed documents initially provided; tax forms contained errors (e.g., filed as single with no dependents).

Resolution Galmiche accepted a pre-trial diversion agreement with no bill of information filed, maintaining full innocence: the incidents were unintentional due to medication-induced impairment. He emphasizes he is “not a thief,” spent nearly $12,000 legitimately at the same store in the prior year, and seeks to prevent similar experiences for others.

The statement, compiled contemporaneously, highlights alleged due-process violations, exploitation of his medical condition, and pressure tactics by law enforcement and retirement system representatives.

So, this episode just may give St. Tammany Parish voters pause if in fact Hodges does opt to pursue becoming the next Sheriff of St. Tammany Parish.  As for his suitability for being the next U. S. Marshal, that would be up to President Donald Trump, but it’s very fortunate for Hodges that such an appointment does not hinge upon a favorable recommendation from us at Sound Off Louisiana!