Local Resident Pleads Guilty to Access Device Fraud

United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that VINCENTIA ROQUES (“ROQUES”), age 40, of New Orleans, Louisiana, pleaded guilty yesterday to access device fraud.

According to documents filed in federal court, ROQUES worked part-time as a bookkeeper and office manager for several businesses located within the Eastern District of Louisiana. As the bookkeeper, ROQUES gained access to passwords and account numbers related to accessing bank accounts associated with each business. ROQUES also obtained direct access to financial account information and identifiers that permitted her to conduct fraudulent and unauthorized financial transactions with the money and credit accounts belonging to her employers.

The maximum penalty for access device fraud is ten years of imprisonment, and/or a fine of $250,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to the victims. United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier set the sentencing hearing for December 13, 2018.    

United States Attorney Peter Strasser praised the work of the United States Postal Investigative Service Internal Revenue Service in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Pickens, II is in charge of the prosecution.