A former licensed practical nurse from Tangipahoa Parish, Tonya Denise Brown, age 49, pleaded guilty to five felony charges in federal court on February 12, 2026. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
Brown admitted guilt to four counts of wire fraud, each involving a separate scheme. Court records indicate that one scheme involved Brown obtaining money by falsely promising assistance with state criminal prosecutions while working as a nurse at the Tangipahoa Parish Jail. In three other schemes, she defrauded individuals by claiming she could help them obtain disaster assistance benefits in exchange for payment.
Brown also admitted to defrauding two government programs: the Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program, which provides grants to homeowners affected by disasters and is funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and FEMA’s rental assistance program designed to aid displaced disaster victims with rent payments.
In addition to the fraud charges, Brown pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute oxycodone hydrochloride pills and acknowledged offering them for sale. She further admitted that she lied to both the FBI and a judge regarding this matter.
The penalties for these offenses are significant. Each count related to possession with intent to distribute or wire fraud based on false promises carries up to 20 years in prison. The wire fraud counts connected specifically to disaster benefit programs such as Restore Louisiana and FEMA’s rental assistance carry up to 30 years due to enhanced penalties for disaster-related fraud. Fines may reach $250,000 per count for most charges and up to $1 million for drug distribution. Brown will also face at least three years of supervised release if convicted and must pay a $100 special assessment fee per count.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle expressed gratitude for the support provided by FEMA’s Fraud Investigations & Internal Inspections Division and its Fraud Prevention and Investigations Branch during the investigation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and HUD’s Office of Inspector General led the investigation into Brown’s activities. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon from the Public Integrity Unit is prosecuting the case.
