Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding an Employer Out of More Than $300,000

Published November 19, 2021

Louisiana – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Tracie Sonnier, 51, of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Michael J. Juneau to 24 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on wire fraud charges. Sonnier was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $335,015.67.

On July 19, 2021, Sonnier pled guilty to a Bill of Information charging her with one count of wire fraud. The allegations arose from an examination into her employer’s company account, which began after money went missing. Sonnier worked for Aries Marine Corporation (Aries) from 1996 to May 2020, when she was fired. At Aries, she was an administrative assistant with bookkeeping responsibilities. Sonnier devised a conspiracy to defraud Aries by using Aries’ bank accounts without authority to pay for personal costs, according to a joint investigation by the US Secret Service and the Lafayette Police Department. The company lost $335,015.67 as a result of her scam, according to the investigation.

The matter was investigated by the US Secret Service and the Lafayette Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Daniel J. McCoy.