May 6, 2015

Missouri Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud

U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that ROGER NADEAU, age 51, a resident of Linn, Missouri, was sentenced today for his role in a scheme to defraud the Louisiana Workforce Commission of unemployment benefits. NADEAU previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

U.S. District Judge Helen G. Berrigan sentenced NADEAU to one year probation and a $500 fine. Additionally, NADEAU was ordered to pay $2,470 in restitution to the Louisiana Workforce Commission (“LWC”).

According to the court records, beginning at a time unknown, but no later than on or about September 24, 2009, and continuing through on or about January 11, 2014, NADEAU along with CHARLES MIZELL, JR., TERRY CASTILOW, WILLIAM DARRYL KING, DAVID LOWE, JAMES CREEL, JERRY ATHEY, TENILLE NIELSON, and JACQUELINE MYERS conspired to defraud the LWC of money and property by means of false and fraudulent representations, pretenses and promises, well knowing the representations, pretenses and promises were false, and mailed and caused to be mailed through the United States Postal Service unemployment (“UI”) benefit claim forms for the purpose of obtaining UI benefits to which they were not entitled. Specifically, at the time CASTILOW, KING, LOWE, CREEL, ATHEY, NIELSON, MYERS, and NADEAU applied for UI benefits and made weekly representations to LWC that they were unemployed and not getting paid, MIZELL, JR., actually employed them at Chamico, Inc., a Bogalusa construction company that concentrates on public, municipal, and industrial contracts.

MIZELL, JR. was the President of Chamico and, according to the court records, asked NADEAU and his other employees to fraudulently file for unemployment so that he would not have to pay their full salaries during tough economic times for his business. NADEAU and the other employees would each get cash from Chamico during the weeks they were claiming unemployment benefits reporting that they were not working and not getting any income from work.

U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Department of Labor-OIG and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Louisiana Workforce Commission in investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Greenfield was in charge of the prosecution.