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NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MELISSA J. WATSON (“WATSON”), of Slidell, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Darrel J. Papillion to twelve months and one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, a mandatory $100 special assessment fee, and payment of restitution totaling $1,281,818.

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TAMIKA CHAPPELL (“CHAPPELL”), age 40, of New Orleans, LA, pleaded guilty on May 23, 2024 before U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Barbier to three-counts, including making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), making false statements to the IRS, and theft of government funds.

A Louisiana woman pleaded guilty today to theft of public money in connection with a scheme to misappropriate over $780,000 from the Provider Relief Fund (PRF), a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration.

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MUNIRA SCHOFIELD, age 28, a resident of LaPlace, Louisiana, was charged last week for her role in preparing and filing false applications for loans related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). SCHOFIELD was charged in a one-count bill of information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1343. SCHOFIELD’s co-conspirators, Lynn Schofield and Bashir Schofield, were charged previously.

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TRACIE L. MIXON, age 42, of Hammond, LA, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Susie Morgan to a bill of information for making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

NEW ORLEANS – FRANK LABRUZZO pleaded guilty on October 31, 2023, to a bill of information for conspiring with co-defendant, Cynthia Caronna, and a United Kingdom resident, to defraud a business seeking to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that SHANIQUA PAGE WILSON, age 32, a resident of Odenton, Maryland, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1343. The charges stem from WILSON’S role in preparing and filing false applications for loans related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

NEW ORLEANS – BRIA PETERS, age 38, formerly of New Orleans, LA and now residing in Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty on October 18, 2023 to a one-count bill of information for making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) before U.S. District Court Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

NEW ORLEANS, LA – ALINE JAMES, a/k/a “Aline Foster” (“JAMES”), age 51, of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty yesterday to Theft of Government Funds, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

NEW ORLEANS - CYNTHIA CARONNA, a resident of Jefferson Parish, pleaded guilty on August 22, 2023, to a bill of information for conspiring with her co-defendant, Frank LaBruzzo, and with a resident of the United Kingdom to defraud a business seeking to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

The Justice Department announced today the results of a coordinated, nationwide enforcement action to combat COVID-19 fraud, which included 718 enforcement actions – including federal criminal charges against 371 defendants – for offenses related to over $836 million in alleged COVID-19 fraud.

NEW ORLEANS – BRIA PETERS, age 38, formerly of New Orleans, LA and now residing in Houston, Texas, was charged on August 18, 2023 in a one-count bill of information with making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

NEW ORLEANS – On August 2, 2023, U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced the charging of FRANK LABRUZZO and CYNTHIA CARONNA for conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1343 and 371.

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA -- U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JULIO A. GONZALEZ, JR. of Chalmette, LA, has plead guilty on July 26, 2023 to one-count of making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001.

NEW ORLEANS – BRANDI WEBER, age 28, formerly of New Orleans, LA and now residing in California, pleaded guilty to one-count of making false statements related

NEW ORLEANS – LYNN SCHOFIELD, age 60, and BASHIR SCHOFIELD, age 23, residents of LaPlace, Louisiana, were federally charged on July 13, 2023 for preparing and filing false loan applications related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. LYNN SCHOFIELD was charged in a one-count bill of information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1343. BASHIR SCHOFIELD was charged in a one-count bill of information with wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States...

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TEMIKA SANTEMORE, age 43, currently a resident of Houston, Texas, was charged July 7, 2023 in a two-count bill of information with making false statements and theft of government funds related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

NEW ORLEANS – DEDRA BRIGHT (“BRIGHT”), age 64, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced on July 5, 2023 to payment of restitution and probation for theft of government funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641, announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans.

We performed procedures at the Department of Education (DOE) to provide assurances on financial information that is significant to the state’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report; evaluate the effectiveness of DOE’s internal controls over financial reporting and compliance; and determine whether DOE complied with applicable laws and regulations. In addition, we determined whether management has taken actions to correct the findings reported in the prior year. For the second consecutive audit, DOE did not comply with Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act reporting requirements.

The Department of Justice today announced criminal charges against 18 defendants in nine federal districts across the United States for their alleged participation in various fraud schemes involving health care services that exploited the COVID-19 pandemic and allegedly resulted in over $490 million in COVID-19 related false billings to federal programs and theft from federally funded pandemic programs.

This informational brief describes changes to the Department of Children and Family Services’ (DCFS) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, including how COVID-19 impacted participation, benefit amounts, and program administration. This brief is intended to provide timely information related to an area of interest to the legislature or based on a legislative request. Among other findings, this brief highlights that the number of SNAP recipients increased 27.5%, from 769,768 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020 to a high of 981,751 in January 2021. According to DCFS, the increase...

On February 8, 2022, Pinecrest Supports and Services Center (PSSC) Regional Administrator Shannon Thorn notified the Louisiana Legislative Auditor (LLA), in writing, of a possible misappropriation of public funds by then PSSC Police Captain David Patterson. LLA initiated this investigative audit to determine the extent to which Mr. Patterson recorded overtime hours he did not work. From July 2020 to December 2021, Mr. Patterson recorded and was paid $15,099 for 391 hours of COVID-19 overtime on weekend days that he either did not work or failed to go through PSSC’s mandatory COVID-19 screening...

United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today the indictment of SHARNAE EVERY (“EVERY”), age 27, of Houston, Texas, who was charged with one (1) count of Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349 and two (2) counts of Mail Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341. The case against EVERY began as a result of a referral from the COVID-19 Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (“PRAC”) regarding possible fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loans (“PPP”). Investigators determined there were at least 110 PPP...

This investigative audit was performed in accordance with Louisiana Revised Statutes 24:513, et seq. to determine the validity of complaints we received. The procedures we performed primarily consisted of making inquiries and examining selected financial records and other documents and do not constitute an examination or review in accordance with generally accepted auditing or attestation standards. The Washington Parish Fire Protection District No. 7 (District 7) Secretary provided inaccurate and incomplete information to the Louisiana Workforce Commission to obtain COVID-19 pandemic...

As a part of our audit of the State of Louisiana’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and our work related to the Single Audit of the State of Louisiana for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, we performed procedures at the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) to provide assurances on financial information that is significant to the state’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report; evaluate the effectiveness of LWC’s internal controls over financial reporting and compliance; and determine whether LWC complied with applicable laws and regulations. In addition, we determined whether management...

As a part of our audit of the Louisiana State University (LSU) and our work related to the Single Audit of the State of Louisiana for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, we performed procedures at the LSU and Related Campuses to provide assurances on financial information that is significant to the LSU's financial statements; evaluate the effectiveness of LSU and Related Campuses’ internal controls over financial reporting and compliance; and determine whether LSU and Related Campuses complied with applicable laws and regulations. In addition, we determined whether management has taken...

From May 21, 2021 to November 9, 2021, the Louisiana Department of Education (DOE) paid $486,050 on two emergency contracts without first obtaining the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (BESE’s) approval. The Louisiana Administrative Code requires that professional and consulting services contracts recommended by the Superintendent of Education at, or above, a certain amount (currently $50,000) be approved by BESE. By paying contractors for professional and consulting services prior to obtaining BESE’s approval, DOE may have violated a provision of the Louisiana...

This audit report provides the results of our evaluation of the Louisiana Workforce Commission’s (LWC) Unemployment Insurance program and federally-funded COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment assistance programs. The purpose of this audit was to determine if the IRS Form 1099-Gs (1099s) filed by LWC with the IRS accurately reported the amount of unemployment benefits paid to claimants during calendar years 2020 and 2021. Overall, we found that LWC filed accurate 1099s for unemployment benefits paid to 698,372 (99.7%) of 700,204 claimants in calendar year 2020. However, we found that LWC did...

This audit report provides the results of our evaluation of the Louisiana Workforce Commission’s Unemployment Insurance program and federally-funded COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment assistance program. The purpose of this audit was to determine if apparently ineligible employees of the State of Louisiana were paid unemployment benefits Overall, we found that, for the period of February 2, 2020, through July 24, 2021, LWC made approximately $6.1 million in State and Federal unemployment benefit payments to 1,054 state employees who do not appear to have been eligible for these programs...

This report provides the results of our evaluation of the Louisiana Workforce Commission’s (LWC) Unemployment Insurance program (State UI) and federally funded COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment assistance programs (Federal UI). The purpose of this report was to identify potential overpayments or improper unemployment benefit payments LWC made to claimants. Overall, we found that LWC made approximately $2.9 million in payments that potentially violated unemployment benefit program rules outlined in federal and/or state law, including payments to claimants enrolled in multiple programs at...