The Sabine Parish School Board confirms that an arrest has been made in connection with a financial fraud scheme involving district funds.
In November 2024, the district was the victim of a sophisticated Business Email Compromise (BEC) phishing attack that resulted in an ACH payment of $251,972 being fraudulently diverted to an unauthorized, outof- state account. At the time, the payment was believed to be for the purchase of weapons detection equipment intended for Sabine Parish school campuses.
Once the issue was identified, the district immediately notified authorities and requested assistance from the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (LBI). Through the investigation, Wiley M. Howell, 58, of Clearwater, Florida, was identified as the recipient of the funds. Howell was arrested on December 23, extradited to Louisiana, and booked into the Sabine Parish Jail on January 10, 2026. He faces multiple felony charges.
The Sabine Parish School Board takes the protection of public funds seriously and acted promptly once the fraud was discovered. The district cooperated fully with law enforcement and implemented additional safeguards to strengthen financial controls.
The district extends its sincere appreciation to the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation for its professionalism, diligence, and efforts in bringing this matter to justice.