(The Center Square) – A Shreveport couple was arrested on Wednesday by the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation for falsely documenting their income to receive Medicaid benefits.
Ebony Taylor and Andre Jackson reportedly defrauded the Medicaid program of $127,000 as of March.
According to a press release from Attorney General Liz Murrill, Taylor applied for benefits between 2017 and 2025 with an income of $750 every two weeks. She failed to disclose her marital status or household income, while Jackson also applied for benefits, claiming no income from 2017 to 2023.
The Louisiana Department of Health sent over a criminal referral to the bureau with allegations of fraud. After further investigation, the bureau found that the couple owned multiple properties in Caddo Parish and financial assets.
“It’s pretty bold to buy a new pool, BMW, and plastic surgery while defrauding our Medicaid program. The hardworking men and women of Louisiana paid for their extravagant lifestyle, and now they’ll be brought to justice,” said Murrill in a press release.
Just in 2025, the reports outlined in Murrill’s press release said the Caddo Parish tax records for the couple showed a property value of $656,270 for this year. A mortgage loan application submitted by Taylor reported a $15,000 monthly income with a bank account balance of $350,000.
During the investigation, the bureau discovered Taylor allegedly financed a 2023 BMW X5 for $80,024 in 2022 with a monthly payment of $1,480. The couple also installed a $94,000 in-ground swimming pool at their home, with financial records showing “yearly incomes of hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
Other purchases included jewelry, vacations, hotels, restaurants, a bridal store, Amazon, Netflix, Fanduel, furniture, orthodontics, liquor stores, and a cosmetic procedure done in Texas.
The investigation is ongoing by the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation.