Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office: Woman facing sentencing committed suicide
LAFAYETTE — A Youngsville woman set to be sentenced Thursday morning for stealing more than $1.7 million from her former employer committed suicide shortly before she was scheduled to appear before a federal judge, authorities said.
Danielle Bodin Guidroz pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in March and was set to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Foote.
Capt. Kip Judice, spokesman for the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, said Guidroz is believed to have committed suicide Thursday morning inside a residence in Youngsville. He could not provide any additional information because the incident was being investigated by the Police Department.
Youngsville police did not return calls seeking information on the incident.
Guidroz, who was 32 at the time of her plea agreement, was employed as office manager and bookkeeper for Holloway Drilling Equipment and Holloway Rentals in Broussard from 2002 to February 2010, according to plea filings.
Guidroz acknowledged in open court last year that she withdrew $1,739,811 from the bank account of Holloway Rentals from February 2003 through March 2010.
She then used the money to open and maintain “Butterfly Bodies,” a ladies boutique that sold clothes, accessories, perfume and other items in Lafayette, according to her plea agreement. Guidroz also said she used the money to take trips and buy vehicles, jewelry and other personal items, according to her plea agreement.
Guidroz faced a maximum 20-year prison sentence, although she likely would have received a sentence ranging from 41 to 51 months in federal prison due to federal sentencing guidelines.
During that proceeding, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly P. Uebinger stated that Guidroz had provided extensive cooperation in locating and providing assets for restitution, including selling a personal residence, vehicles and personal items totaling $200,000.
Meanwhile, Guidroz also was one of several defendants in a pending civil lawsuit filed in the Lafayette Parish Courthouse by the Holloway company.
In a deposition in July, Guidroz gave a sworn statement to civil attorneys that implicated two certified public accountants in the scheme, alleging Greg Inzerella and Eric Broussard knew of, participated in and benefited from the scheme.
Guidroz says she initially approached Broussard, who worked as a CPA for the Holloway companies through the Inzerella accounting firm, and told him that she had written some checks from the company to pay personal bills.
Broussard told Guidroz to give him a few days to think about how to handle it and he would get back in touch with her, the deposition says.
When Broussard got back to her, he told her that they would cover up the expenses and that “he would be willing to work with me if I was willing to work with him,” Guidroz said.
“So when he got back with you, he told you how to cover up the checks that you had written for personal use so they would not be discovered by Holloway Rentals or Holloway Drilling or Rickey Holloway?” attorney L. Clayton Burgess asked.
“Correct,” Guidroz answered.
Guidroz said the electronic scheme they devised involved paying her Citibank account directly from the Citibank website using funds from the Holloway account.
Prior to that conversation, Guidroz said she had no idea how to cover up the thefts.
As office manager and bookkeeper, Guidroz said it was her responsibility to pay bills and invoices at the company, including those that came from the Inzerella accounting firm.
In exchange for Broussard’s help, “they wanted me to insure that those invoices got paid even though they would be substantially more than they should be,” Guidroz said.
Guidroz said Greg Inzerella knew that his firm was involved in the scheme.
She said Broussard also received individual benefits including making purchases with and receiving cash advances from her credit card.
“And the whole time Mr. Broussard was aware that he was helping you perfect a system under which you would steal money from Holloway Rentals?” Burgess asked.
“Yes,” Guidroz responded.
Guidroz said Broussard continued to profit from the scheme after he left the Inzerella firm and joined John W. Wright’s accounting firm.
Neither Broussard nor Inzerella have been charged with any crimes in connection with the incident.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Greg Inzerella and John W. Wright, who employed Broussard after Broussard left the Inzerella firm, all did not return calls seeking comment Thursday.
The most recent Yellow Pages still lists Broussard’s business number as being the same as Wright’s accounting firm.
Both Broussard and Wright are both named individually as defendants in the lawsuit.
Michael Henderson, executive director of the state board of Certified Public Accountants of Louisiana, said his office has no record of any disciplinary action against Broussard.
In an amended petition filed Thursday, Burgess also names Greg Inzerella individually as a defendant.
The filing claims Inzerella financially gained from and participated in the fraud to harm the Holloway companies financially through overbilling and/or embezzlement.