Former Bank President and Real Estate Developer Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud

REGINALD R. HARPER, age 58, a resident of Hammond, Louisiana, and TROY A. FOUQUET, age 43, a resident of Covington, Louisiana, were charged today in a one count bill of information for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten.

According to court documents, in approximately 2004, HARPER, the former president and chief executive officer of First Community Bank, a bank located in Hammond, Louisiana, loaned in excess of $2 million to FOUQUET, a real estate developer, or one of a number of companies FOUQUET owned. The purpose of the loans were to purchase parcels of real estate; develop them into subdivisions; and built houses on them, eventually to be bought by prospective home buyers who would obtain permanent mortgages to finance the purchase. The permanent mortgages would also include monies to pay back FOUQUET who, in turn, would pay back the original loans made by HARPER on behalf of First Community Bank.