Agents from the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, under Attorney General Liz Murrill, have arrested a Florida resident accused of defrauding the Sabine Parish School Board of more than $250,000.
The case began when the Sabine Parish School Board reported suspected fraud to the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (LBI). According to investigators, in November 2024, the school board became a victim of a Business Email Compromise. A school board employee was tricked into sending an ACH payment of $251,972 to an out-of-state bank account controlled by suspects. The payment was intended for metal detectors to be used at school campuses.
Investigators identified Wiley M. Howell of Florida as the recipient of the stolen funds. LBI agents traced the money through multiple banks and cryptocurrency accounts and found that Howell had quickly emptied these accounts after receiving the funds. They also discovered that some money was transferred to an unknown accomplice believed to be outside the United States.
An arrest warrant was issued by the 11th Judicial District Court in Sabine Parish for Howell on felony charges including two counts of theft by fraud over $25,000, six counts of illegal transmission of monetary funds, and two counts of money laundering.
Howell was arrested on December 23, 2025, in Pinellas County, Florida. He was extradited to Louisiana on January 10, 2026, where he was booked at Sabine Parish Jail. Arrangements were made between LBI agents and Florida authorities for his extradition.
Howell faces charges under Louisiana law: two counts of theft over $25,000 (LRS 14:67), six counts related to illegal transmission of monetary funds (LRS 14:70.8), and two counts of money laundering (LRS 14:230). He has not yet appeared before a judge for bond proceedings.
The investigation remains ongoing.
“All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.”