A former employee of the Louisiana Department of Education, Romney Manuel, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis. Manuel, 51, from Prairieville, Louisiana, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson.
According to statements made during the plea hearing, Manuel participated in a scheme with another individual from April 2020 through at least March 29, 2021. The two conspired to obtain federal funds by making it appear that a non-existent childcare provider was operational and manipulating data systems and spreadsheets used by the Louisiana Department of Education. This allowed them to steal $74,250 in federal LaCAP grant money.
LaCAP grant funds are distributed as part of federal relief efforts tied to major disasters or emergencies declared by the President under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122).
Manuel’s conviction carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine up to $1 million, and supervised release.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy S. Johnson is prosecuting the matter.
The Justice Department encourages anyone with information about pandemic-related fraud to report it through its National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via its online complaint form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
