United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana
06/25/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/25/2026 17:19
Non-Profit Executive Sentenced to Three Years of Probation for Theft of Federal Funds
NEW ORLEANS - ZOE MARIE FRANCIS ("FRANCIS"), age 47, of New Orleans, was sentenced on June 24, 2026, after previously pleading guilty to theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(A), to three years of probation, announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ("Fraud Division"). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department's work to combat fraud supports President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
According to court documents, FRANCIS was the chief operating officer of the Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies ("IWES"), a non-profit organization based in New Orleans that received grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other federal funds. In that role, FRANCIS embezzled funds for the benefit of herself and family members, including unauthorized expenditures for personal events and Amazon purchases. Using her authority with IWES, FRANCIS used falsified contracts to hide these expenses and invoices, and she granted herself unauthorized pay increases.
On January 7, 2026, FRANCIS pleaded guilty before Judge Milazzo to Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(A). Under the terms of FRANCIS's plea agreement, FRANCIS agreed to pay at least $100,000 in restitution to IWES, and she also agreed to forfeit at least $150,000 in IWES funds that she spent on unauthorized expenses.
On June 24, 2026, U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced FRANCIS to three years of probation, twelve months of home detention and payment of a $100 special assessment fee .
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services in investigating this matter. Trial Attorney Gary A. Crosby II of the Department of Justice's Criminal Division, Fraud Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses, Deputy Chief of the Public Corruption Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.
The Department of Justice's Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
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