All seven defendants face wire fraud and arson-related federal charges. (FBI photo)
The defendants were arrested on September 23, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
The alleged scheme took place in the Monroe and West Monroe areas, according to the indictment. “The audacity, the recklessness, and the greed of these defendants to allegedly turn fire setting into a for-profit operation is staggering,” Keller said. “The conspirators charged here fed their greed by putting innocent lives at risk, including those of first responders, and destroyed the hard earned property of others while contributing to higher insurance costs for us all,” he added.
Prosecutors say the defendants rented homes in their own names or through several other co-conspirators and used fraudulent identities to obtain insurance coverage for the residences. They then allegedly set fire to the properties and submitted insurance claims for losses that did not actually occur. Morover, the group also allegedly submitted fraudulent disaster relief claims to a national humanitarian organisation and received cash payments meant for fire victims. All seven defendants have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and use of fire to commit a federal felony. Lashaundalyn Whitlock Brown, LaQuadra Whitlock and Latricia Whitlock also face charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, concealment money laundering and structuring. If convicted on all charges, they could face decades in federal prison, along with substantial mandatory minimum sentences. The case was investigated by the FBI, the Louisiana State Fire Marshal, the Monroe Fire Department and the Louisiana State Police.
In court filings, prosecutors also argued that Lashaundalyn Whitlock Brown should remain in custody while awaiting trial, citing a long criminal history from age 17 to her current age of 40. Prosecutors said she was also paroled in 2021 and appears to have begun the subject conduct right after.
At a press conference in Ouachita Parish, Deputy Commissioner for the Office of Insurance Fraud Dominique Jones said the Louisiana Department of Investigation used an AI-powered tool called Anti-Fraud One to help identify suspicious claims. Jones said the tool helped investigators uncover organized fraud that might otherwise go undetected.