HEADQUARTERS NEWS RELEASE
January 27th, 2012
LSP Investigations result in Arrests across Southeast Louisiana Troopers assigned to the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations brought several separate criminal cases to conclusion this past week resulting in arrests across numerous parishes. On January 25th, 2012, LSP detectives arrested Qasim Raouf (O/M age 23) following an investigation into access device fraud. During the course of the investigation, detectives discovered that Raouf had defrauded a Whitney bank customer of approximately $2000 and had 8 active warrants for separate instances of access device fraud and traffic violations in both Jefferson and Orleans Parishes.
On January 26, 2012, State Police Investigators assigned to the Criminal Investigative Division Baton Rouge Field Office arrested Joseph Fitzgerald (W/M age 60) for failure to register as a sex offender in Iberville Parish. During the investigation, it was discovered that Fitzgerald was living in Plaquemine and had failed to register when he moved there. Fitzgerald had been convicted of 1st Degree Rape in Alabama in 1993. This charge is the equivalent of Forcible Rape in Louisiana, which requires a lifetime registration. He was required by Louisiana law to register with the Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office, which he never did. State Police Investigators, with the assistance of the United State Marshals Service, located Fitzgerald at his place of employment in Sunshine, LA and placed him under arrest. He was then booked into the Iberville Parish Jail.
Following an investigation into a complaint made by Progressive Insurance Company, Troopers arrested William White Jr (B/M age 27) of Hammond, LA, on one count of Insurance Fraud. The investigation revealed that in June of 2010, White filed a property damage claim on his vehicle with Progressive Insurance following an alleged hit and run crash that occurred in a retail store parking lot. The claim was denied due to a lapse in coverage; however, prior to denial, Progressive assigned an adjuster to inspect and photograph the vehicle damage. In October of 2010, White initiated a new policy with Progressive and shortly thereafter reported being the victim of another hit and run crash filing a property damage claim on the same vehicle. The damaged area on the vehicle was the same for both claims and photographs from the initial claim showed the damage to be identical. The investigation concluded White attempted to defraud Progressive by misrepresenting the facts of the loss. On January 26th, 2012, White turned himself in to LSP detectives and was booked into the Tangipahoa Parish Jail.
Anyone wishing to report criminal or suspicious activity to the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations is urged to contact detectives at 225-925-3682.
The Louisiana State Police on-line reporting system is also available to the public through a convenient and secure reporting form that is submitted to the appropriate investigators. Citizens can access the form by visiting www.lsp.org and clicking the Suspicious Activity link.
Contact Information:
TFC Nick Manale
Louisiana State Police
Public Affairs Unit - Troop L
Office: (985) 893-6250 Ext:628
Nicholas.Manale@dps.la.gov
www.LSP.org
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