Bobby R. Lowe, 66, of Harvey, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, admitting his role in a years-long scheme to defraud federal education programs by fabricating academic credentials. The plea, entered before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey, marks the latest fallout from a crackdown on fraudulent admissions tied to financial aid theft.
Court documents reveal Lowe, a printing company owner in Harvey, used his business to produce counterfeit high school diplomas, transcripts, and GED certificates beginning in early 2013. These falsified documents were mailed to Delgado Community College in New Orleans, submitted by applicants who never earned the credentials. The goal: game the system and illegally secure federal financial aid from the U.S. Department of Education and the college itself.
Lowe didn’t stop at forgery. He supplied co-conspirators with envelopes bearing the return addresses of legitimate agencies—the Department of Education and the Louisiana Community & Technical College System—both based in Baton Rouge. He instructed accomplices to post the fraudulent applications from the capital city, creating the illusion the documents originated from official sources and boosting their perceived legitimacy.
The scheme exploited vulnerabilities in college admissions and federal aid distribution. By falsifying academic history, applicants were accepted into Delgado and fast-tracked for Pell Grants and other taxpayer-funded aid programs. All of it hinged on paper—paper Bobby R. Lowe printed, packaged, and pushed into the pipeline of higher education bureaucracy.
Now, Lowe faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He’s also subject to up to three years of supervised release following any imprisonment and must pay a mandatory special assessment of $100.00. Sentencing is scheduled for April 10, 2017.
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite commended the investigation, led by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia K. Evans is prosecuting the case, sending a clear message: stealing from federal aid programs won’t go unnoticed—or unpunished.
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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