By Tiffany Flournoy

CULLEN, La. — Cullen Police Chief Fannie Rankin has asked the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office to pursue criminal charges against town assistant clerk Untracy Brittentine, alleging misuse and unauthorized use of Rankin’s personal information and credit to obtain insurance coverage for municipal police vehicles.

Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker confirmed the complaint has been forwarded to the Webster Parish District Attorney’s Office for review. As of publication, District Attorney Schuyler Marvin had not responded to a request for comment.

Rankin said Brittentine contacted her Nov. 10, 2025, instructing her to report to Town Hall to sign new insurance cards. Rankin said she declined and asked that the cards be delivered to the Police Department. She said Brittentine continued contacting her Nov. 12, 13 and 14 with the same request.

Rankin said she contacted Progressive Insurance on Nov. 17 and learned she was listed as the CEO or owner on the insurance policy covering two police vehicles. A company representative told her the policy had been established using her credit because she was listed as the owner, Rankin said.

Rankin said the phone number on the policy matched Brittentine’s personal cellphone number. The policy listed the Town of Cullen as the policyholder and Rankin as the owner. Rankin said a separate town vehicle listed Mayor James Terry Hoof as CEO and that town vehicles previously had not been insured.

Brittentine said when she started work as assistant clerk a few months ago, municipal vehicles were without insurance.

Citing pending litigation between Rankin and the town, Brittentine said that because she was unable to obtain the chief’s information directly from Rankin, she obtained the information through Forth, the town’s former insurance provider. Brittentine said she then provided the information to Progressive.

Brittentine further stated that she was unaware Progressive would conduct a credit inquiry using that information.

“The town of Cullen can’t speak if there was an accident. They have to speak to a primary person, and being as though she’s the chief of police, she was the primary person that they would contact, not I, and not the mayor. I wasn’t allowed to speak with her. The only thing that I was instructed to do by the mayor was to get insurance on all the vehicles,” she said.

“The insurance company, which was Progressive. I did not know this at the time that they ran credit when you obtain insurance, because keep in mind, I just started this job in October It wasn’t that I just took her information and had her (Chief) credit ran. That wasn’t the case,” she added.

“This has been a case of defamation of my character. It has been a case of harassment. It has been a case of mental turmoil when it concerns Chief Fanny Rankin. It’s not business, it’s personal… This goes back to a personal matter, and she’s taking the personal matter, and taking it to the Town of Cullen. She has slandered me on Facebook. She’s released my personal information on Facebook,” Brittentine said.

According to Rankin, during court proceedings Nov. 19 in a separate civil matter, Fannie Rankin vs. Town of Cullen, a district judge said it was improper for Rankin to be listed as CEO on the police vehicle insurance policy. Rankin said she canceled the policy. Reportedly, the insurance is now established under the name of the Town of Cullen. 

This is a developing story.