New Orleans Man Admits to Stealing Nearly $250,000 from Two Federal Agencies

U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that JAMES CONRAD, JR., age 49, of New Orleans, pled guilty yesterday to theft of government funds.

CONRAD admitted that from 1998 to 2013, he stole a total of $247,800 from the federal government. CONRAD jointly held a bank account with an individual who received Social Security Administration and Office of Personnel Management benefits. Entitlement to benefits terminated when the individual died in 1998, but the agencies, unaware of the death, continued wiring payments to the bank account until 2013. CONRAD knew that the payments did not belong to him. Instead of notifying the agencies of the improper payments, CONRAD spent them on himself.

CONRAD faces up to ten years’ incarceration and a fine of up to twice the theft amount. U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown scheduled sentencing for April 10, 2015.

U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General and the Office of Personnel Management - Office of Inspector General in investigating this matter.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon is in charge of this prosecution.