Louisiana Man Sentenced for Wire Fraud Involving Over $77k in Fraudulent Charges Made at Stores 

New Orleans, Louisiana - A Louisiana man has been sentenced for wire fraud involving over $77k in fraudulent charges made at stores.

On April 10, 2023, U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Corey Thomas, age 49, from New Orleans, Louisiana was sentenced to home detention for committing wire fraud, stemming from fraudulent charges made in someone else’s name at local stores.

Court filings show that Thomas exploited a victim's personal identifying information to make fraudulent charges at Best Buy and many Lowe's Home Improvement outlets in New Orleans and adjacent parishes. Thomas attempted to make the purchases on behalf of other legitimate customers, offering to charge the items on a store credit card in exchange for a cash payment less than the purchase amount. The plea agreement required Thomas to repay a total of $77,781.98 to Synchrony Bank, which issued the Lowe's credit cards used in his fraud.

Thomas was sentenced to five years of probation, commencing with an eight-month term of home detention, as well as restitution of $77,781.98, 100 hours of community service, and a mandatory $100 special assessment charge by Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle.

U.S. Attorney Evans applauded the Federal Bureau of Investigation's work. The prosecution is overseen by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses, Health Care Fraud Coordinator.