Former Jeanerette mayor pleads guilty to theft, fraud

ormer Jeanerette Mayor April Foulcard on Tuesday entered a guilty plea in 16th Judicial District Court to bank fraud, malfeasance and theft of $5,000-$25,000.
According to a press release from District Attorney Bo Duhé, the malfeasance charge came after a legislative auditor’s report found that Foulcard, who was Jeanerette’s mayor 2013-19, failed to complete mandatory city audits. A Louisiana State Police investigation showed that Foulcard failed to remit more than $190,000 in state and federal payroll taxes.
Foulcard was also accused of conspiring to make fraudulent online banking transactions and withdrawing the funds before the banks discovered the fraud.
Foulcard was charged with receiving unemployment benefits intended for people whose identities had been stolen or who were fictitious.
The fraud involved unemployment benefit programs in Louisiana, Arizona, Ohio and Colorado.
The theft charge alleged that Foulcard and a co-conspirator impersonated a bank account holder and transferred $9,000 from the victim’s account into Foulcard’s account. Foulcard was arrested when she withdrew the stolen funds, Duhé said.
Foulcard faces a maximum of 25 years in prison.
Assistant District Attorney Robert C. Vines prosecuted the case. The New Iberia Police Department and the Louisiana Department of Justice joined state police in the investigation.