FBI: Former La. Police Union Head Lied About Insurance Scam

A former police union president in Monroe, La., is accused of lying to federal investigators about a former officer’s alleged insurance scam.

Federal agents arrested Paul Brown, 41, a 16-year department veteran who served two terms as president of the union local, on April 30. He was booked with one count each of making false statements to a federal agent and conspiring to do so.

Brown is on paid administrative leave during an internal investigation, Chief Ron Schleuter said.

A grand jury indicted Brown last week with Brandon Brooks, 27, who resigned earlier this year from the Monroe Police Department.

Brooks, arrested earlier this month on one count of mail fraud, is charged with five counts of mail fraud and one each of witness tampering, making false statements to a federal agent and conspiracy to do so.

The indictment alleges that he filed at least 13 fraudulent insurance claims, including a May 2003 arson at his home in Calhoun and a June 2006 claim for damages to a motorcycle that was in the bed of a truck he drove into Cheniere Lake. Authorities allege he also ran a vehicle into the Ouachita River in January 2004.

The indictment alleges that Brown lied to investigators about the Ouachita River incident.

The arrests end a two-year investigation by the FBI and the National Insurance Crime Bureau, a nonprofit group that helps insurance fraud investigations.

Brown and Brooks were scheduled for arraignment May 4 in U.S. District Court in Monroe.

Information from: The News-Star, www.thenewsstar.com.