Jelissa Lacour, a 37-year-old resident of Jefferson Parish, was sentenced on April 9 to a total of 70 months in prison for two counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft, according to an April 20 announcement by U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
Lacour’s sentencing comes as part of ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address financial crimes involving misuse of taxpayer funds. The Department of Justice recently created the National Fraud Enforcement Division to investigate and prosecute those who commit fraud against government programs.
Judge Carl J. Barbier sentenced Lacour to serve 46 months for the wire fraud charges and an additional consecutive term of 24 months for aggravated identity theft. In addition, she was ordered to serve three years under supervised release after her prison term and pay $342,032 in restitution.
According to court documents, Lacour obtained multiple Paycheck Protection Program loans using falsified tax forms and also secured Emergency Rental Assistance Program funds using the identities of various individuals. Some applications were submitted on behalf of accomplices seeking fraudulent benefits; others involved misusing personal information without consent. The total loss from these schemes amounted to approximately $366,236.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chandra Menon from the Public Integrity Unit.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana enhances community safety through law enforcement efforts according to its official website. Operating under the U.S. Department of Justice according to its official website, this office enforces federal laws and prosecutes criminal cases according to its official website. The position is appointed by the President with Senate approval according to its official website and covers Southeast Louisiana according to its official website. As chief federal law enforcement officer for the district according to its official website, responsibilities include prosecuting criminal cases, defending civil matters, handling debt collection for the federal government, and protecting residents throughout Southeast Louisiana according to its official website.
