17-year-old high school student was actually a 28-year-old woman, Louisiana cops say
In a bizarre scenario straight out of a movie, a 28-year-old woman pretended to be 17 and managed to successfully enroll in a Louisiana high school, investigators say.
The masquerade came to an end June 13, when deputies with the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested the woman and her 46-year-old mother on fraud charges, according to a news release.
“On Monday, May 29, ... detectives were notified by officials with the St. Charles Parish Public Schools of a possible adult attending Hahnville High School in Boutte, LA during the 2022-2023 school year,” officials said.
“School administration received a tip that a female student, who was on record as being 17 years old, was in fact an adult possibly in her mid 20’s. School Administration began an internal investigation and later notified the sheriff’s office of their findings.”
Detectives discovered the family used a fraudulent passport and birth certificate to enroll in the school, officials said.
The mother and daughter, who share a home in Boutte, are charged with one count each of injury to public records, a law covering the alteration or falsification of public records. If found guilty, the two could pay thousands of dollars in fines and serve up to 5 years prison time.
Investigators did not reveal when the woman enrolled in Hahnville High School or her grade level.
The school is about 25 miles west of New Orleans and has about 1,400 students in grades 9 through 12, according to the district. May 24 was the last day of classes for the 2022-23 school year, and seniors graduated May 17, records show.
District officials released a statement noting their enrollment requirements and procedures are aligned with state law.
In this case, however, the standard documents provided by a parent “may have been fraudulent.”
“As a result of this discovery, St. Charles Parish Public Schools is conducting an audit of enrollment documents for students currently enrolled in St. Charles Parish Public Schools, is reviewing student enrollment policy and procedures, and will make enhancements based upon that review,” the district said in a news release.
“Moving forward, the school system will provide additional required training for school and district level employees focused on recognizing the signs of potentially fraudulent documents.”
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