Marriage license scam involving incarcerated man

ST. LANDRY PARISH, La. (KLFY) – A false marriage license nearly turned into a disaster that would have resulted in property loss before being noticed by the Clerk of Courts Office.

Larry Callier, with the Clerk of Courts Office, says the incident began when a couple walked in to apply for the license, but it would later be learned that the soon to be groom was actually using the identity of a man currently in prison. "Individuals came into the clerk's office questioning a transfer, which was a donation of some property from an ex from an individual who was incarcerated," says Callier.

The bride was a former girlfriend of the incarcerated man. Callier says the couple used the marriage license to donate property from the incarcerated man to the female's name, including evicting the man's mother from her home. "The donation did occur. It was caught by the clerk's office that was there. But it just goes to show the significance of being alerted and being aware because sometimes things don't get caught."

With incidents like this in mind, Callier says there is an online service that offers notifications when records are filed under your name or when changes are made with the website. Incidents like this could be avoided before they get out of hand. "It can slip through the cracks and in many cases, a donation or a cash sale of property that doesn't belong to someone can occur. So, it's really significant to be aware that these services exist and preparing for the worst-case scenario and being prepared, you know, in case these events do occur and happen."

The St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office is also investigating the incident with more information to come once the investigation is complete.

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