Company Owner Pleads Guilty To Bank Fraud

BATON ROUGE, LA – United States Attorney Walt Green announced today that CARL D. WRIGHT, age 46, of Greenwell Springs, Louisiana, pled guilty yesterday before Senior U.S. District Judge James J. Brady to one count of bank fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344, and to four counts of making false statements to financial institutions, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1014.  As a result of his convictions, WRIGHT faces a potential prison term as well as restitution to the victim-banks.

WRIGHT operated a company called Nevada Systems, Inc., which was in the business of renovating distressed residential properties.  From 2004 until 2010, WRIGHT executed a scheme to defraud several banks in the Baton Rouge area.  WRIGHT obtained loan proceeds from multiple banks by submitting loan applications that contained numerous materially false statements and information.  WRIGHT’s loan applications were accompanied by fictitious tax returns that WRIGHT had his tax preparer create on his behalf and presented to the banks as proof of income.  The fictitious returns contained inflated income figures and were never filed with the Internal Revenue Service.  WRIGHT and his companies fraudulently obtained approximately $2.5 million from several banks.   

U.S. Attorney Green stated, “In working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in this and other cases, our office will continue to aggressively pursue individuals who defraud our banks and financial institutions.  Holding individuals accountable for their actions is crucial to halting fraud and to serving as a deterrent to anyone inclined to engage in similar wrongdoing.”

This investigation was handled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys J. Brady Casey and Peter Smyczek.