Former Deputy Arrested on Multiple Charges

AMITE (June 27, 2026)- A former deputy has been arrested following a lengthy investigation into the management of the Transitional Work Release program.

Charles Burise, 76, has been booked on one count of Malfeasance in Office, Abuse of Office, Principal to the Introduction of Contraband, and Obstruction of Justice. Burise had been a TPSO deputy for 30 years before he resigned in February of this year.

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A year ago, following a series of contraband discoveries inside the Transitional Work Release dorm, an investigation was launched into Burise, who had been in charge of the Work Release program for more than a decade.

That investigation has revealed, so far, that Burise not only provided Work Release inmates with contraband, including cellphones, but also knowingly allowed them to obtain contraband, including cellphones, some of which ended up in the hands of inmates inside the Tangipahoa Parish Jail.

At the height of the investigation, Burise resigned from TPSO. Upon his separation, further evidence was found supporting the investigation’s findings, including communication between Burise and the phone numbers associated with the contraband cellphones. Warrants were then obtained for Burise’s arrest and he was taken into custody on Friday, June 26.

This investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with additional information about Burise and/or his role over the Transitional Work Release program is asked to contact TPSO’s Criminal Investigations Division at 985-902-2088.

TPSO Public Information Office, pio@tpso.org