A St. Tammany Parish resident, Joseph Harold West Jr., has entered a guilty plea to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans following West's appearance before United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe on December 5, 2024.

Court documents reveal that West, along with others, engaged in fraudulent activities from November 2020 through May 2024. These activities included defrauding a former political candidate with fake campaign services and several Louisiana residents through various schemes involving false real estate purchases and legal defense claims.

West is accused of using fake aliases, burner phone numbers, and fraudulent invoices as part of the scheme. The total amount defrauded from victims includes approximately $236,867 from one victim in real estate scams, $83,268.05 from another in fraudulent real estate and title work claims, and $112,328.18 from two others through a fake legal defense scheme.

West faces a potential sentence of up to five years in prison and three years of supervised release. He could also be fined up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss involved in the crime and must pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. As part of his plea agreement, West has agreed to pay restitution totaling about $446,302.23 to his victims.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation into this case, while Assistant United States Attorney Andre J. Lagarde from the Public Integrity Unit is handling its prosecution.