State Audit Director Charged with Federal Program Fraud

BATON ROUGE, LA—United States Attorney Walt Green announced today that Delrice J. Augustus, age 34, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has been charged in a bill of information with federal program fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(A).

Augustus is the director of the Bureau of Auditing and Compliance Services for the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). He is currently on leave from his position. DCFS leadership has cooperated fully with the investigation.

If convicted, Augustus faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, forfeiture of the proceeds from the offense, restitution, and up to three years of supervised release following a term of imprisonment. His initial appearance will be held on a date to be determined.

The bill of information alleges that, during the period from 2010 through March 2014, while serving as audit director of a state agency receiving over a billion dollars annually in federal funds, Augustus fraudulently misused government purchasing cards to obtain items for personal use for himself and others, including an installed dishwasher; televisions; movies; cameras; wireless audio systems, such as Sonos and Jawbone; gaming devices, such as Xboxes, Wiis, and Leapsters; mobile devices, such as iPads, Kindle Fires, and an iPhone 5; Dyson vacuums; rental vehicles, hotel rooms; and fuel.

The matter is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana, the Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana Inspector General’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

A bill of information is an accusation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.