A federal grand jury in Lafayette indicted Jane Frances Pierce, a 63-year-old resident of Boyce, on April 15 for charges including mail fraud, filing false tax returns, corruptly interfering with an Internal Revenue Service investigation, and money laundering. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana on April 29.
The case highlights ongoing efforts to address fraud involving taxpayer funds. According to court documents, Pierce allegedly filed false tax returns on behalf of a trust she controlled and claimed nearly $10 million in refunds from the IRS. Authorities say she obtained more than $1 million through these actions and used the funds for personal expenses such as purchasing a house and vehicle, repaying a loan, and paying relatives’ mortgages.
When the IRS attempted to recover the refunds it believed were obtained fraudulently, officials allege that Pierce obstructed their efforts by filing a false amended return, mailing a fake check to the agency, and submitting a false court document.
Pierce faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of mail fraud; up to 10 years for money laundering; three years each for tax fraud and corrupt interference; as well as three years of supervised release related to some counts. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Johnson from the Western District of Louisiana along with Isaiah Boyd from the Criminal Division Tax Section.
Keller said: “An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.” Copies of this press release can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
