Thibodaux Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud While Holding Power of Attorney for Terminally Ill Mother and Theft of Government Check from Disabled Sister

Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JILL ANDRAS LEBLANC, a/k/a JILL FREMIN, age 41, of Thibodaux, pled guilty today one count of wire fraud and one count of theft of government funds.

According to court documents, LEBLANC was charged by a Superseding Bill of Information on December 19, 2017.  LEBLANC stole several hundred thousand dollars from her mother's retirement account.  More specifically, the defendant was appointed power of attorney on October 29, 2008 for her mother who was terminally ill with cancer.  The defendant's father, an oil field worker, had accumulated a substantial individual retirement account (IRA) during his working life.  He passed away several years prior to 2011.  This investment account was managed by a national brokerage house whose home offices are in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  During the defendant's administration of her mother's account, she stole approximately $369,701 from the account and spent it on personal, frivolous items.

In addition to the wire fraud, LEBLANC also pled guilty to theft of a Social Security disability check in the amount of $13,500 meant for her disabled sister. 

LEBLANC faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment on the wire fraud count, and/or a fine of $250,000, and up to three 3 years of supervised release.  On the theft of government property, LEBLANC faces 10 years imprisonment.  LEBLANC will be ordered to pay restitution.  U.S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt set sentencing for April 11, 2018.

Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation and the Louisiana State Inspector General in investigating this matter and thanked the Lafourche Parish District Attorney’s Office for their assistance.   Assistant United States Attorney Carter K. D. Guice, Jr. of the Fraud Unit is in charge of the prosecution.