Brooke Miller Duck, a 31-year-old resident of Midland, Texas and former resident of Arnaudville, Louisiana, pled guilty on March 6 to embezzling more than $500,000 from her employer while working as a manager at two medical clinics in Lafayette and Baton Rouge. Duck now faces up to 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud.
The case highlights the risks that small businesses face when employees have access to financial accounts. United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller said, “Brooke Duck now faces justice after spending years betraying the trust of her employer and treating that employer’s bank accounts like her own personal slush fund. Frauds perpetrated by people like Mrs. Duck erode the trust that our Louisiana small businesses need to perform their critical work, and our Office stands ready to prosecute those abuses.”
According to court documents, Duck used the clinics’ credit cards for unauthorized personal expenses between May 2020 and October 2023. These included a $15,000 payment for a time-share vacation property. She then paid off these credit card balances using funds drawn from the clinics’ bank accounts. In total, she caused $539,451.41 in unauthorized transactions for her personal use.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service, and Lafayette Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Daniel Siefker Jr., with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Denise Duhon, is prosecuting it.
Keller made the announcement regarding Duck’s guilty plea and pending sentencing.
