NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)), published as received.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On March 30, 2026, JESSICA LACOUR (“LACOUR”), age 38, currently of Texas and formerly of the Eastern District of Louisiana, was charged with participating in multiple acts of fraudulent conduct, including generating fake evidence for a lawsuit, stealing from two COVID-19 assistance programs, creating over $200,000 in fake store receipts, and misusing persons’ identities, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. The bill of information charges LACOUR with five counts of wire fraud, with each count alleging a different fraud scheme.
As alleged in the first count, LACOUR used a fake tax return to obtain a forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loan, which was a type of assistance authorized during the COVID-19 pandemic. As alleged in the second count, LACOURused the identities of other people to obtain emergency rental assistance, which was another type of COVID-19 aid. As alleged in the third count, LACOUR created hundreds of fake Walmart receipts purporting to have been issued by at least 10 stores totaling at least $228,114. It is alleged that the receipts were used by an accomplice to steal merchandise, which was then sold. As alleged in the fourth count, LACOUR helped generate false evidence for a lawsuit filed in Orleans Parish Civil District Court. As alleged in the fifth count, LACOUR misused people’s identities to open accounts, such as utility and financial accounts. As part of that scheme, LACOUR allegedly used her job at a French Quarter hotel to take pictures of a hotel guest’s driver’s license and credit card, which she then sent to an accomplice.
Each of the five wire fraud charges is punishable by up to 20 years of imprisonment, which may be followed by up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a $100 special assessment.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that the defendant’s guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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