Romney Manuel, a former employee of the Louisiana Department of Education, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson, according to an announcement from Acting United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis.
The conviction carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, a fine up to $1 million, and a period of supervised release.
According to information presented during the plea hearing, Manuel admitted that from around April 2020 through at least March 29, 2021, he conspired with another individual to steal federal funds by manipulating data systems and spreadsheets used by the Louisiana Department of Education. The scheme involved making it appear that a non-existent childcare provider was operational in order to obtain LaCAP grant money. In total, $74,250 in federal funds were stolen as part of this effort.
LaCAP grant money is distributed as a benefit authorized under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122), specifically for Presidentially Declared Major Disasters or Emergencies.
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 case.
“Anyone with information about allegations of pandemic fraud can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form,” stated officials.
