Covington resident Melissa Ficara Kagel, the focus of a multi-state investigation, has been ordered to repay $200,000 to an elderly Northshore victim and placed on probation after pleading guilty earlier this month. On Tuesday, a judge suspended a 10-year prison sentence and instead handed down five years of probation, with a clear condition that restitution payments must start while Kagel is still under supervision. Local residents and alleged victims say the outcome closes one chapter in a saga that prosecutors describe as the financial exploitation of vulnerable adults.
According to WWL‑TV, the judge accepted Kagel’s guilty plea and issued the restitution order during a hearing this week. The station reports that the suspended 10-year term and five-year probation were part of a plea deal, and that paying back the victim is a non-negotiable condition of Kagel’s continued freedom.
How investigators say the scheme unfolded
Prosecutors and local reporting say Kagel allegedly spent years obtaining loans, gifts and other funds from older clients and acquaintances, sometimes telling them the money was needed for legal fees or to support lawsuits. Earlier coverage detailed how one victim first met Kagel through salon visits, and later sent her hundreds of thousands of dollars for supposed fees and loans, funds the victim eventually said were used to cover gambling losses. Pechanga recapped that earlier reporting.
Court terms and enforcement
Under the court’s order, Kagel must make restitution payments during her probation and will be monitored by the parish probation office. The St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court explains that restitution and court costs are tracked through the local court system and that failure to follow payment terms can trigger further court action. The clerk’s website also provides contact information for the Covington office. St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court
Allegations span multiple states
At least four people in Louisiana and Georgia have accused Kagel of taking their money, including reports filed in Baton Rouge and Sandy Springs, according to WWL‑TV. The outlet reports that Georgia authorities are seeking Kagel in connection with an alleged $500,000 theft, while prosecutors in St. Tammany Parish dropped one charge involving Ronda Behrens earlier this year. “It’s unfortunate that she’s not being held accountable for what she did to me,” Behrens said, according to the reporting.
The restitution order and probation are intended to give victims a path to be paid back while keeping Kagel under court supervision, but victims and their families say they will be watching closely to see if the money actually comes. For now, the case has Northshore residents talking about how the justice system balances punishment, restitution and protection for older adults.
