Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced detectives have made an arrest as part of an investigation into a scam. Diego Diaz, 47, of Georgia was arrested after being caught trying to accept thousands in cash from a scam victim.
On December 10, 2024, an elderly Thibodaux man contacted the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office about a scam. He had received notification of an online purchase that had been made through Walmart for a dishwasher. The man contacted Walmart which had no record of the purchase and was informed the notification was likely a scam. He then received a call from a person claiming to be from the Federal Trade Commission who claimed to be investigating money laundering. He told the elderly man that in order to keep his money safe, he should withdraw $40,000 to be picked up by investigators and put into safekeeping. Investigators worked with the victim to coordinate a pickup at 10 a.m. the following day.
On December 11, the elderly man was provided detailed instructions from the scammer on how to package the cash to provide to a courier. Maintaining surveillance at the location, investigators observed the courier arrive, and he was immediately taken into custody. He was identified as Diego Diaz. Further investigation revealed Diaz had acted as a courier in similar transactions in other areas as well, and is associated with a larger criminal organization that spans the southern United States.
Diaz was booked into the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex on charges including conspiracy to commit extortion, conspiracy to commit felony theft, and conspiracy to commit exploitation of the infirmed. He is being held without bond on these charges, and he is also being held for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This investigation is continuing with cooperation from neighboring parishes where similar incidents have occurred as well as in cooperation with federal authorities.
Sheriff Webre reminds citizens to always be skeptical of any calls they receive asking for money or trying to “protect” their money as part of a larger investigation. “Anytime someone suggests you not tell anyone, even law enforcement, what is happening and asks you for money, you can bet it’s a scam,” said Sheriff Webre. “We were fortunate to arrest someone appearing in person, but in most cases, everything is done electronically, and once money is sent, it is difficult – if not impossible – to recover. We strongly encourage anyone to contact local law enforcement for help before exchanging money.”
Diego Diaz