A Lafayette father and his two daughters were sentenced to federal prison for a long-term scheme to defraud the federal nutrition assistance program operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Brian Desormeaux, 64, of Lafayette, on Tuesday was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison.
His daughters and co-conspirators, Amy Hernandez 38, and Lenzi Babineaux, 35, both of Lafayette, each were sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for their roles in the wire fraud scheme.
Desormeaux was the executive director of Regional Nutrition Assistance Inc., a non-profit organization that sponsored the Child and Adult Care Food Program operated by the USDA and administered by the Louisiana Department of Education.
A sponsoring organization, according to the federal indictment, “is a public or nonprofit private organization that is entirely responsible for the administration of the food program in certain defined locations, including one or more Day Care Homes.”
The program is intended to offer nutritious meals to children and adults in need.
Court documents show that, over five years, Desormeaux and his daughters submitted fraudulent claims for reimbursement from the federal government.
The fraud included creating and submitting false state fire marshal inspection reports that where required for reimbursement and submitting claims for providers they knew weren’t participating in the program, records show.
Desormeaux, Hernandez and Babineaux allegedly diverted over $500,000 in federal reimbursements for their personal use.
All three pleaded guilty.
Babineaux pleaded guilty in November and was ordered to report to federal prison by Jan. 6.
