Two Lafayette women have been accused by a federal grand jury of a years-long fraud scheme that netted them more than $1.5 million from victims.
The grand jury indicted Felicia Young, 58, and Leisa Fuselier, 59, on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. Young also faces a charge of obstruction of justice. If convicted, the women face up to 20 years in federal prison.
Young is the owner of ALA Floral, Kreole Ala 2, Johnston Street Drive-Thru and F&B Rentals, all Louisiana limited liability companies, the indictment alleges.
The indictment lists five victims, but only by gender and home parish: they're all female residents of Lafayette Parish. The scheme began around March 2020 and lasted until around January 2024, the indictment alleges.
Both women are accused of embezzling and fraudulently obtaining funds from victims and using those funds for personal use and to advance the scheme, the indictment says.
The indictment says that Young would meet prospective victims via her legitimate business dealings via her companies. After she earned their trust, she'd ask to borrow money from them, the indictment alleges. She would then tell them that all her accounts were frozen, and she needed more money to access her accounts to pay them back, the indictment alleges.
To close these deals, she would set up three-way calls with a victim and Fuselier, who would pose as Young's banker. She'd then tell the frozen account story and give the victim an amount of money that was needed, the indictment alleges.
The women received funds via CashApp, Venmo, check and cash. Young paid Fuselier for her role in the scheme, the indictment alleges. Sometimes Young would use money she scammed from one victim to pay back another victim, the indictment alleges.
The specific incidents listed in the indictment happened in 2021 and 2023; the amounts they scammed out of victims ranged from $200 to $23,100.
The obstruction charge that Young faces alleges that she attempted to alter or destroy documents so investigators couldn't use them. The indictment also asks that the two women forfeit anything that they obtained via the scheme.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren L. Nickel with the assistance of Legal Assistant Christy Angelle.
