A Shreveport man finds himself on the wrong side of the law after Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) enforcement agents arrested him for a slew of charges related to illicit boat transactions. According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries press release, Tandy Lemay, 52, faced charges for 11 counts of forgery in Caddo Parish, nine counts of filing false public records, and one count of computer fraud in East Baton Rouge Parish. The arrest was carried out on Monday.
Investigations into Lemay's business practices kicked off in May 2024 after complaints surfaced about the authenticity of information provided on boats he sold. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents, armed with search warrants, discovered that the documents used for the vessel transactions had been forged. Lemay, also accessed the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries online vessel registration with the falsified data.
Forgery can lead to a fine of up to $5,000 and 10 years in jail. The charges for filing false public records could result in a similar financial penalty and up to five years behind bars, while computer fraud comes with its own hefty fine of up to $10,000 and an additional five-year jail term, as reported by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
In light of these incidents, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has issued advice to prospective boat buyers. They urge the public to ensure that registration and title match the boat and motor details, and that hull identification, or serial numbers are not tampered with. Buyers should also be wary of deals that seem too good to be true, and not to proceed with a purchase in the absence of proper ownership documents. The case against Lemay was spearheaded by Sgt. Joseph Melton, and Sgt. Toby Meyers.
