Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced the sentencing of Joseph Harold West, Jr., a resident of St. Tammany Parish, to 46 months in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe on July 17, 2025. West had previously pleaded guilty to the charges under Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.
After completing his prison term, West will serve three years of supervised release and must pay $446,302.23 in restitution to his victims along with a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Court documents revealed that from November 2020 through at least May 2024, West conspired with others to defraud several individuals using fake campaign services and fraudulent real estate transactions. This included defrauding Candidate 1 and Victims 1 through 4 out of substantial amounts totaling over $400,000 using aliases, burner phones for communication, and fake 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. The prosecution was managed by Assistant United States Attorney Andre J. Lagarde from the Public Integrity Unit.
