NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ROBERT JOHN, age 46, from St. Bernard, Louisiana, was indicted on February 11, 2022 for conspiring to commit student aid fraud.
The indictment charged JOHN with one count of conspiring with others to submit fraudulent applications for student loans and grants to two local community colleges, using the names of seven different applicants. According to the indictment, in total, the Department of Education paid over $74,000 in loan and grant funds in connection with the fraudulent applications. The applications contained false information for all applicants, and a few of the applicants did not even qualify for community college because they had not graduated high school or obtained GEDs.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, JOHN faces up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain to JOHN or the gross loss to any victims, as well as a mandatory $100 special assessment fee per count.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Department of Education Office of Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses is in charge of the prosecution.
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