NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Louisiana, Eastern), published as received.

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –  KATIE LAROCHE, age 54, a resident of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced on March 15, 2023 to 21 months in prison for wire fraud, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343 announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

According to court documents, LAROCHE created, owned, and operated a business, Capital City Consulting Firm, that purported to provide financial management services. Victim 1 was a client of LAROCHE’s, and LAROCHE was responsible for performing bookkeeping, accounting, and other financial services for Victim 1 and Victim 1’s businesses. LAROCHE had signatory authority and access to Victim 1’s bank accounts.

From about February 2015 through March 2021, LAROCHE engaged in a scheme to defraud Victim 1 and Victim 1’s businesses by withdrawing funds from Victim 1’s accounts under false pretenses and using the funds for her own benefit. Specifically, LAROCHE falsely represented that the funds were being used to pay federal income taxes.  When Victim 1 asked LAROCHE about the status of Victim 1’s tax obligations, LAROCHE lied to Victim 1 to hide her scheme. LAROCHE also arranged for monthly payments to be automatically withdrawn from Victim 1’s account without Victim 1’s knowledge or consent to pay for an automobile insurance policy benefitting someone other than Victim 1. In total, LAROCHE embezzled $233,363.53 from Victim 1.

Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced LAROCHE to 21 months in prison, a fine of $250,000, a mandatory special assessment fee of $100, (3) three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment. A restitution hearing will be held on a later date.

“There is no tolerance in our community for criminals like Ms. LaRoche, who stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from her long-time client, betraying that client’s trust to benefit herself,” said Leslie Pichon, U.S. Secret Service New Orleans Special Agent in Charge.  “Today’s sentence demonstrates that the Secret Service will do everything it can to hold individuals like Ms. LaRoche accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicholas D. Moses of the Financial Crimes Unit  and Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit are in charge of the prosecution.