Agents with Attorney General Liz Murrill's Louisiana Bureau of Investigation arrested a man from Florida for defrauding the Sabine Parish School Board out of more than $250,000.

The Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (LBI) received a request for assistance from the Sabine Parish School Board regarding allegations of fraud. Agents learned that, In November 2024, the Sabine Parish School Board was a victim of a Business Email Compromise (BEC).  As part of the scheme, a school board employee was persuaded to, unwittingly, send an ACH payment in the amount of $251,972.00 to an out of state bank account controlled by the perpetrator(s). This payment was made to a vendor, believed to be legitimate, for the purchase of metal detectors. Those metal detectors were intended to be placed at Sabine Parish school campuses.

LBI agents subsequently identified Wiley M. Howell, a Florida resident, as the suspect who received the stolen funds. Agents conducted an extensive investigation, which included tracing the stolen funds through various banks and crypto currency accounts. Agents learned Howell had depleted the accounts almost immediately upon receipt of the stolen funds. Agents also learned Howell had transferred some of the stolen funds to an unknown accomplice(s) believed to be operating outside the United States.  

Pursuant to this investigation, LBI Agents obtained an arrest warrant, issued by the 11th Judicial District Court in Sabine Parish, on felony charges of 2cts Theft by Fraud Over $25,000 (felony), 6cts Illegal Transmission of Monetary Funds (felony), and 2cts Money Laundering.   

On Tuesday, December 23, 2025, authorities in Pinellas County, Florida, arrested Howell pursuant to LBI’s arrest warrant. Howell was subsequently extradited to Louisiana, on Saturday, January 10, 2026, and booked at the Sabine Parish Jail. LBI agents have contacted Florida authorities and arrangements have been made to extradite Howell. He will be booked at the Sabine Parish Jail.  

Howell is facing charges of:

• LRS 14:67 – Theft over $25,000 (2 counts)
• LRS 14:70.8 – Illegal Transmission of Monetary Funds (6 counts)
• LRS 14:230 – Money Laundering (2 counts)

He has not yet appeared before a judge to receive a bond.

The investigation is ongoing.