Harvey Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Financial Aid Fraud

U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that BOBBY R. LOWE, age 66, a resident of Harvey, pled guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

According to court documents, LOWE owned and operated a printing company in Harvey.  In early 2013, LOWE conspired with student applicants to produce fraudulent high school transcripts and diplomas, as well as fraudulent GED certificates and transcripts, which were sent to the Office of Admissions at Delgado Community College in New Orleans.  LOWE also provided his co-conspirators with envelopes with return addresses for the Department of Education and the Louisiana Community & Technical College System in Baton Rouge.  LOWE instructed his co-conspirators to mail the documents from Baton Rouge, so the documents would look more legitimate.  The purpose of the scheme was to obtain federal financial aid from the United States Department of Education and Delgado Community College.

LOWE faces up to five years imprisonment and/or a fine of not more than $250,000, a period of supervised release after imprisonment of up to three years, plus a mandatory special assessment of $100.00.  U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey set sentencing for April 10, 2017.

U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the United States Department of Education-Office of Inspector General and the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia K. Evans is in charge of the prosecution.