A Texas man is under arrest for attempting to scam a Lafayette Parish resident out of a large sum of money.
On Monday, August 25, 2025, at 5:00 p.m., Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies were contacted by the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office in Maryland regarding a potential scam targeting a Lafayette Parish resident. The victim was nearly defrauded of a significant, undisclosed amount of money, according to a spokesperson for the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office.
During the investigation, detectives identified the suspect as 23-year-old Marlon Edwin De Almeida of Houston, Texas. The victim had received a notification claiming his digital payment account had been compromised, followed by an email from an individual posing as a federal government representative. Investigators say the impersonator falsely claimed to be investigating fraudulent activity and instructed the victim to withdraw a large sum of cash and wait for a “courier” to collect the funds for safekeeping.
With the assistance of surveillance and intelligence operations, investigators monitored the situation as De Almeida arrived at the victim’s residence to take possession of the money. He was immediately taken into custody by patrol deputies.
De Almeida was arrested and charged with Online Impersonation and Theft.
This case remains under investigation. Additional details will be released as they become available.
