Opelousas fugitive arrested, charged with 29 counts of identity theft

An Opelousas woman wanted for almost two years for stealing another person's unemployment benefits has been arrested, authorities said.

OPELOUSAS, La. (KLFY) -- An Opelousas woman wanted for almost two years for stealing another person's unemployment benefits has been arrested, authorities said.

Jessica Marie Guillory, 35, of Opelousas, was charged with 29 counts of identity theft on an arrest warrant dated April 27, 2021, according to St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz.

Guidroz said the arrest was made Tuesday as a result of a medical issue.

"The St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office received a medical complaint at 621 Fontenot Road in the Opelousas area," Guidroz said. "Upon arrival, Jessica Marie Guillory was inside the residence and had an active arrest warrant for 29 counts of Identity Theft."

According to the arrest warrant, the victim was notified by Louisiana Medicaid that someone was using her information to obtain unemployment benefits and that the person who was collecting the benefits lived at a residence on Hwy. 752. The victim believed that the identity of the person responsible was Guillory. 

According to documentation from Louisiana Work Force, bank statements showed money being issued to Guillory and the victim. 

When questioned by detectives, Guillory said that she left her job and went on maternity leave and filed for unemployment in April 2020, authorities said. Guillory also said that she assisted the victim with filing for unemployment.  When asked if she was receiving another person’s unemployment benefits, she replied that she was only receiving her own through direct deposit into her bank account, according to police.

When detectives showed Guillory documentation regarding unemployment benefits for the victim and showed that the address on file belonged to Jessica Guillory, she then admitted that she began receiving the victim’s unemployment benefits in June 2020, authorities said.  According to the documentation, the victim’s benefits were being deposited into Guillory’s bank account from April 29, 2020 through Nov. 25, 2020, which totaled 29 transactions.

Guillory was arrested and transported to the St. Landry Parish Jail, where she was booked on the two-year-old warrant issued for her arrest. Guillory's bail was set at $15,000.