John Paul Funes, Wire Fraud, Louisiana 2024

Former president of the Our Lady of the Lake Foundation, John Paul Funes, has been charged by federal prosecutors in Louisiana with wire fraud and money laundering. The charges stem from an alleged scheme that defrauded the foundation out of more than $550,000.

Funes, 49, was employed at the non-profit organization supporting the Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. According to the United States Attorney’s Office, Funes executed a fraudulent scheme between 2012 and September 2018.

The charges allege that Funes prepared and submitted numerous false payment vouchers, causing the foundation to issue checks for amounts and purposes that were not accurate. For instance, he claimed funds were used for ‘outbound patient transports’ when they were actually for his personal benefit. He also fraudulently represented that gift cards were purchased for cancer patients, when they were often used for himself.

In addition to the fraudulent vouchers, Funes is accused of directing individuals to funnel a majority of funds back to him after he caused the foundation to issue payments. This was part of an effort to conceal the proceeds of his fraudulent scheme. The investigation also revealed that Funes created false documents in August 2018 when the foundation’s finance department began auditing these expenses.

U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin emphasized the severity of the charges, stating that those who betray the trust of organizations like the Our Lady of the Lake Foundation will be held accountable. Fremin also thanked the United States Secret Service, FBI, and IRS-CID for their role in the investigation.

Resident Agent in Charge Tara McLeese of the Secret Service Baton Rouge Office highlighted that financial crimes are not victimless, and the Secret Service is committed to aggressively investigating such cases. FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric J. Rommal echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the betrayal of trust by Funes as President of the Foundation.

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