Tag: Louisiana

  • Illegal Voting Case Raises Questions About Election-System Certifications

    Illegal Voting Case Raises Questions About Election-System Certifications

    The Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday that ICE Homeland Security Investigations arrested Denise Nataly Migliore, a lawful permanent resident from Australia.

    Federal prosecutors allege Migliore falsely claimed U.S. citizenship to register to vote in 2022 and 2024, then cast ballots in both federal election cycles.

    That raises a second question for Find Corporate Waste: what systems processed those registrations, and what were taxpayers told those systems could do?

    Under the Help America Vote Act, states must maintain centralized statewide voter-registration databases. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission recognizes those systems as combinations of software, hardware and related technology used to manage voter records.

    FCW is examining whether private contractors were paid to provide identity matching, data integration, eligibility controls or exception reporting, and whether those capabilities were accurately represented to government customers.

    The Justice Department’s NVRA guidance stresses accurate voter rolls while protecting eligible citizens from improper removal.

    If a taxpayer-funded vendor knowingly overstated system capabilities or falsely certified required controls, the issue could extend into procurement fraud and potentially False Claims Act exposure.

    Examine. Expose. Recover.

  • Louisiana Woman Pleads Guilty in PPP Kickback Scheme

    Louisiana Woman Pleads Guilty in PPP Kickback Scheme

    A Louisiana woman pleaded guilty for her role in a multi-state Paycheck Protection Program fraud scheme that allegedly used ineligible borrowers, fake tax forms, and kickbacks to obtain pandemic-relief funds.

    According to the DOJ, Lisa Lemoine, 38, of Bossier City, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

    Federal prosecutors said Lemoine worked with alleged co-conspirators Sniders Jean-Jacques, Lorne Johnson, Tanya Pierre, Ashley Spike, and others to submit fraudulent PPP applications for borrowers and collect up to 30% of the loan proceeds as a fee.

    Beginning in March 2021, Lemoine allegedly recruited borrowers who were not eligible for PPP loans, claimed they operated qualifying businesses, and created fake tax forms to support the applications.

    Prosecutors said she received kickbacks from borrowers who obtained PPP funds and shared those payments with co-conspirators.

    Jean-Jacques, Johnson, Pierre, and Spike were charged separately in connection with the same alleged scheme.

    The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the scheme.

    This case underscores why Find Corporate Waste tracks PPP cases. Anyone with inside knowledge of PPP application brokers, fake tax forms, borrower-recruitment networks, or lender-side approval failures may have information relevant to public-fraud enforcement.

    Contact Find Corporate Waste if you know how taxpayer funds were obtained, approved, or forgiven despite false statements.