Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson has announced the sentencing of Joseph Harold West, Jr., a resident of St. Tammany Parish, to 46 months in prison. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe on July 17, 2025. West had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. After serving his prison term, West will be under supervised release for three years and is required to pay $446,302.23 in restitution to his victims along with a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Court documents reveal that from November 2020 through at least May 2024, West and others conspired to defraud multiple individuals. This included defrauding a political candidate with fake campaign services and swindling Victim 1 out of approximately $236,867 through fraudulent real estate transactions and costs. Victim 2 lost about $83,268.05 due to false claims related to real estate and title work, while Victims 3 and 4 were deceived out of around $112,328.18 through a fake legal defense scheme. The conspirators used various fake aliases and occupations as well as burner numbers for communication and fraudulent invoices.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson commended the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in this case’s investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Andre J. Lagarde from the Public Integrity Unit is prosecuting the case.
