A St. Tammany Parish man, Joseph Harold West Jr., has admitted to a conspiracy to defraud a political candidate and other Louisiana residents, totaling approximately $446,302.23, in a string of wire fraud schemes confirmed by U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to a Department of Justice press release, West pleaded guilty to the charge on Thursday last week.
The elaborate scams ran from November 2020 through May 2024 and involved fake campaign services, real estate purchases, and a legal defense scheme. Court documents detail how West, alongside others, used a variety of deceitful tactics including fake aliases, "burner" phone numbers, and fraudulent invoices to carry out the deception. The combined losses incurred by the victims in these fraudulent activities amounted to substantial sums, with one individual being billeted out of approximately $236,867, as per the same release.
West now faces significant consequences, including up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines of up to $250,000 or double the amount gained or lost in the fraud. He has also agreed to repay the full amount of his illicit gains.
The FBI led the investigation into West's actions. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit is handling the prosecution, and United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe will oversee the sentencing.
