Two Lafayette Women Indicted in Fraud Scheme That Took at Least $1.5 Million From Victims
A federal grand jury in Lafayette, Louisiana, returned an indictment on July 15, 2026, charging Felicia Young, 58, of Lafayette, and Leisa Fuselier, 59, a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago and a lawful permanent resident of the United States, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. Young was additionally charged with obstruction of justice. Each faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The case number is 6:26-CR-00269. An indictment is merely an allegation, and both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
According to the indictment, Young orchestrated the scheme beginning in March 2020 and lasting several years. She allegedly gained victims' trust through legitimate dealings at companies she owned, including ALA Floral 2, Kreole Ala 2, Johnston Street Drive-Thru and F&B Rentals, then asked them to lend her money. Once victims provided funds, she allegedly claimed her bank accounts were frozen and requested additional deposits to unlock the accounts in order to repay them.
To keep the scheme going, Young allegedly arranged three-way calls in which Fuselier falsely posed as a representative of Young's financial institution and confirmed the lie that the accounts were frozen over an outstanding debt, instructing victims to deposit specific amounts by a certain day and time. Victims paid at least $1.5 million to Young through CashApp, Venmo, checks and cash withdrawals, in transactions that triggered interstate wire transmissions. The indictment further alleges that Young used the funds for her own enrichment, to pay Fuselier, and to continue the fraud, and that on December 30, 2023, she obstructed justice by destroying or concealing records.
The FBI investigated the case. U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana, who announced the indictment, said protecting the public from financial predators is a top priority for his office.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于华盛顿特区的美国司法部总部罗伯特·肯尼迪大楼（资料照片），本案由路易斯安那州西区联邦检察官办公室起诉。Ajay Suresh 摄，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Robert F. Kennedy Building, headquarters of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. (file photo); the case is prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana. Photo by Ajay Suresh, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
