The former warden of the Avoyelles Correctional Center in Cottonport – and son of former longtime Angola Warden Burl Cain – pleaded guilty to wire fraud in federal court.
Nathan Burl Cain II, 51, of Moreauville, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell for his scheme to steal more than $150,000 in taxpayer money for his personal benefit.
A trial started on Monday related to an indictment filed on August 11, 2017 charging Cain with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 17 counts of wire fraud. The trial ended today with his plea to two counts in the indictment. He faces up to 20 years in prison on each.
According to the guilty plea, Nathan Cain conspired with his ex-wife Tonia Bandy Cain, 43, who served as the manager of the business office of the facility, to use Louisiana Department of Corrections bank cards to purchase personal items, while misrepresenting that such items were purchased for official business. The bank cards instead were used to purchase furniture, pet supplies, toilet paper, gun parts, Christmas decorations, yard tools, tires, a pressure cooker that was given as a gift to a third party, and other items.
Additionally, Nathan Cain commissioned the construction of a house on prison grounds for himself and did not bid the construction as required by law. Instead, purchases for the construction were made on bank cards on separate occasions for supplies and materials. Nathan Cain structured the purchases so that they would avoid
detection by Department of Corrections monitors.
Tonia Bandy Cain pleaded guilty in the case last summer. To read our story, click here.
The court set sentencing for June 17, 2019. Tonya Cain’s sentencing will be on April 12, 2019.
The FBI and the Louisiana Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Luke Walker and David J. Ayo are prosecuting the case.
