BATON ROUGE, La. (WWLTV) – Gov. John Bel Edwards has ordered a “full investigation” into travel by state police after Eyewitness News and New Orleans Advocate investigative reports revealed questionable spending by four troopers who took a side trip to Las Vegas on their way to a San Diego conference last fall.

The move came a day after the agency said it will force those troopers to reimburse the state for the taxpayer-funded detour.

“The governor has directed the Division of Administration’s auditor to conduct a full investigation into travel by the state police,” Shauna Sanford, Edwards’ press secretary, said in a prepared statement. “The investigation will include this trip, as well as trips dating back to the previous administration and is independent of the internal investigation taking place at state police.”

The governor’s office said it would have “additional comments” after the investigation is done.

Three troopers, identified as Lt. Rodney Hyatt, Master Trooper Thurman Miller, Trooper Alexandr Nezgodinsky and Major Derrell Williams, took the side trip in a state-owned SUV, stopping at the Grand Canyon and in Las Vegas on their way to California.

Time sheets for 3 of the troopers, Lieutenant Rodney Hyatt, Master Trooper Thurman Miller and Trooper Alexandr Nezgodinsky reveal they claimed to drive three times longer than it should have taken them to travel different legs of their trip.

“They were not approved to claim overtime. They were not approved to spend one or two  nights in Las Vegas,” Col. Mike Edmonson, the state police superintendent, said earlier this week. “So, they’re gonna have to answer to that in my independent review.”

Edmonson said the State Police’s review of the trip should be complete in a few days.

Williams, the head of internal affairs for LSP, is not eligible for overtime but claimed 16 hours of comp time for the weekend days he spent at the conference.

Louisiana State Police Commander Colonel Mike Edmonson said Monday Williams would be re-assigned to patrol while an administrative review is completed.

All four will be asked to re-pay the state for their hotel stay and compensation for their time in Las Vegas. Edmonson did not say whether they will also be asked to pay back the costs of their trip to the Grand Canyon.

The troopers were authorized to drive the SUV across the country, but Edmonson said he did not sign off on them taking the scenic route or them claiming overtime.

Eyewitness News will have more on this story tonight at 6 p.m.