NEW ORLEANS,LOUISIANA U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced thatKATIE LAROCHE, age 53, from New Orleans, was charged on April 19, 2022 with wire fraud, based on her embezzlement of $233,363.53 from a client.
The government filed a one-count bill of information that chargedLAROCHEwith wire fraud involving conduct from 2015 through 2021. According to the bill of information,LAROCHEwas a financial manager who handled bookkeeping, accounting, and other financial services for her clients. From 2015 through 2021,LAROCHEembezzled funds from one of her clients.LAROCHEhid the embezzlements by falsely indicating that withdrawals and transfers out of the victims account were for tax payments, when in fact the money was deposited intoLAROCHEs personal account or used forLAROCHEs own purposes.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted,LAROCHEfaces up to twenty years in prison.LAROCHEalso faces up to three years of supervised release after release from prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain toLAROCHEor the gross loss to any victims, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicholas D. Moses and Jordan Ginsberg are in charge of the prosecution.
Source: U.S. Secret Service