A federal grand jury in Lafayette returned an indictment on April 15 charging Jane Frances Pierce, a 63-year-old resident of Boyce, with mail fraud, filing false tax returns, corruptly interfering with an Internal Revenue Service investigation, and money laundering.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address fraud involving taxpayer dollars. The Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division earlier this month. According to the Department of Justice, "the core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars." These efforts are part of President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
Court documents allege that Pierce filed false tax returns on behalf of a trust she controlled and claimed nearly $10 million in refunds. She reportedly obtained more than $1 million from the IRS and used it for personal expenses such as purchasing a house and vehicle for herself, repaying a personal loan, and paying her relatives’ mortgages. When the IRS tried to recover these funds, prosecutors say Pierce obstructed their efforts by filing a false amended return, mailing a fake check to the agency, and submitting a false court document.
Pierce faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the mail fraud charge. The money laundering charge carries up to 10 years in prison; each count related to tax fraud or corrupt interference could result in three years' imprisonment. Additional penalties include supervised release following any prison term.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement regarding these charges. He said that "an indictment is merely an allegation" and emphasized that "all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law." The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Johnson along with Isaiah Boyd from the Criminal Division Tax Section.
