Agents with Attorney General Liz Murrill’s Louisiana Bureau of Investigation arrested a former school admissions director on March 24 for allegedly embezzling more than $87,000 in tuition payments from Crescent City Christian School in Metairie.
The case highlights the Louisiana Department of Justice’s role in addressing financial crimes and protecting institutions across the state. The department operates as the primary legal office for Louisiana under an independently elected attorney general, according to the official website.
Investigators received a criminal complaint from representatives of Crescent City Christian School, which is operated by Celebration Church. During their investigation, agents learned that Maryfrancis Johnson, age 32 and a resident of Delta Street in Belle Chase, had served as the school’s Admissions Director and allegedly defrauded the institution between 2020 and 2023. Authorities say Johnson kept cash tuition payments made by students’ families instead of depositing them, making false entries into the school’s financial tracking system to show payments had been received.
Johnson was arrested without incident after LBI agents secured an arrest warrant through Jefferson Parish Judicial District Court on charges including theft over $25,000 and computer fraud. She was booked at Jefferson Parish Jail; bond information is currently unknown. All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The Louisiana Department of Justice provides services statewide and focuses on protecting constitutional rights while offering legal resources to citizens across Louisiana, according to its official website. The department also works to preserve the state’s culture and heritage through its legal efforts.
Attorney General Liz Murrill leads these efforts at the state level and has challenged federal overreach in more than 35 cases according to information available on her office’s website.