A 27-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man were arrested Tuesday evening in connection with an interstate bank fraud operation that brought suspects from New York to Louisiana, according to court documents filed by the Monroe Police Department.
Stephanie Laugier, 27, was taken into custody on September 22, 2026, at approximately 7:45 p.m. by Officer Andrew Stadius. She faces charges of bank fraud (LARS 14:71.1) and criminal conspiracy (LARS 14:26).
Police also arrested 33-year-old Willie Smith on Tuesday in connection with the same scheme.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, investigators found that Laugier helped recruit three individuals, arrange travel, and provide documentation to send them from New York, N.Y., to Monroe, La., to commit bank fraud.
The conspiracy involved equipping the individuals with fraudulent identification cards and counterfeit checks. The suspects were directed to enter local bank branches and cash the checks against the accounts matching the fake IDs. On the date of the arrest, one suspect attempted to cash two fraudulent checks totaling $12,750 using the false identification.
Authorities noted in the affidavit that Laugier is also wanted in multiple other jurisdictions and has a criminal record involving bank fraud and fugitive status.
Laugier and Smith were transported to the Ouachita Correctional Center (OCC) and booked on their respective charges. The case has been forwarded to District Court.
