43 COUNTS OF IDENTITY THEFT

A Thibodaux couple is in custody of the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office after they allegedly opened credit card accounts using other people’s personal information.

Authorities said the investigation has been going on for almost a year.

Authorities have been looking into Brent Poiencot, 41, for allegedly creating credit card accounts under other people’s names.

A warrant was issued for his arrest in February, and he was arrested in Morgan City and later booked in Lafourche for four counts of identity theft.

Authorities said they later got more information that Poiencot also opened a bank account in someone else’s name and deposited checks which he had stolen and altered.

This led to five more counts of identity theft in June.

As the investigation continued, authorities said they discovered 43 additional instances of identity theft – all with a similar pattern with checks being stolen, altered or deposit ed into accounts that were ultimately traced back to Poiencot and also his partner, Chelsea Guidry, 26, of Thibodaux.

Poiencot was still in jail from his previous arrests. This past week, he was booked on additional charges, now facing 56 counts of identity theft.

On Aug. 17, authorities also made contact with Guidry and took her into custody without incident.

She is charged with 43 counts of identity theft and is held in lieu of a $215,000 bond.

Lafourche Sheriff Craig Webre said he urges citizens to check their credit history from time-to-time to make sure that you’re not being victimized without knowing about it.

Brent Poiencot (left) and his partner, Chelsea Guidry, are both charged with identity theft after allegedly opening up credit cards and bank accounts in other people’s names.

43 COUNTS OF IDENTITY THEFTCOURTESY