A Lafayette man and his two daughters have been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a multi-year conspiracy to defraud a federal nutrition program designed to aid children and adults in Louisiana. On February 3, 2025, Brian Paul Desormeaux, 64, received a sentence of 36 months for leading the scheme. His daughters, Amy Desormeaux Hernandez, 38, and Lenzi Desormeaux Babineaux, 35, were each sentenced to one year and one day after being convicted of wire fraud.
According to court documents, Desormeaux was the executive director of Regional Nutrition Assistance, Inc., which sponsored the Child and Adult Care Food Program administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and overseen locally by the Louisiana Department of Education. Over approximately five years, Desormeaux and his daughters submitted false claims for reimbursement from the federal government. Their methods included fabricating state fire marshal inspection reports required for reimbursement and submitting claims on behalf of providers who were not actually participating in the program. The fraudulent activity resulted in over $500,000 in federal funds being diverted for their personal use.
United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller stated: “The Desormeauxs’ shameful scheme stole food out of the mouths of Louisiana’s children to satisfy their own greed, and they’re now heading to federal prison as a result. Protecting Louisiana’s children from financial and other abuses is one of our Office’s core missions, and this case shows our commitment, alongside our federal and state partners, to investigate and prosecute these crimes to the fullest extent of the law.”
Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office commented: “The Desormeauxs stole half a million dollars of money that was allocated to help hungry children and adults in Louisiana, and we will not tolerate that criminal behavior. The FBI is committed to work with our state and federal partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to root out fraud in Louisiana and make sure those responsible are held to account.”
USDA Inspector General John Walk said: “The defendants exploited the USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program intended to provide nutritious meals to children in need. They fraudulently claimed to administer the assistance at childcare programs and instead used it as a vehicle for personal financial gain. The USDA Office of Inspector General remains committed to protecting the integrity of USDA nutrition programs and safeguarding taxpayer dollars. We appreciate the strong partnership of our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners in holding those who commit fraud accountable.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Louisiana Office of Inspector General, and USDA Office of Inspector General conducted investigations into this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren L. Nickel prosecuted it with support from Legal Assistant Christy Angelle.
Further information about this case can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla or through related court records at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer under Case Number 6:25-cr-00092.
