Attorney General’s office highlights Troop NOLA prosecutions, Medicaid fraud unit activity and ongoing investigations

The Attorney General’s office told the House Appropriations Committee its FY26 budget supports criminal prosecutions, investigative work and Medicaid fraud control activities, and the chief deputy described a major new prosecution effort in New Orleans tied to Troop NOLA.

House Fiscal Division presenter Zion Wilson outlined the department’s FY26 recommendation of about $113.0 million, with statutory dedications and federal funds as substantial funding sources. Chief Deputy Attorney General Larry Freeman said the office has opened a large number of Troop NOLA‑related cases and emphasized the continuing workload in criminal and civil matters.

Why it matters: The Attorney General’s office leads statewide prosecutions and investigations that affect public safety and public funds. The Troop NOLA deployment and the Medicaid fraud control unit directly affect local crime and state recovery of improperly paid federal funds.

Troop NOLA, caseload and funding

- Troop NOLA caseload: Freeman told lawmakers that since Troop NOLA began the office has opened 389 cases in New Orleans; he said 46 had been closed and approximately 343 remained open. He described recent weekly and monthly workloads that included dozens of cases across multiple parishes.

- FY25 carryforward and appropriations: The presentation and Freeman’s remarks noted the previous fiscal year included appropriations to support Troop NOLA; the agency received an appropriation (presentations showed $15.0M in FY25 appropriation toward criminal programs) and carried forward funding into FY26 ($12.0M carryforward referenced in Q&A). Freeman said the office has used the funds to prosecute cases in collaboration with state police and local district attorneys.

Medicaid fraud and investigative units

- Medicaid fraud unit: DOJ presented modest increases in personnel for the Medicaid fraud control unit and said the unit performs high‑value recoveries with substantial federal matches available. Officials described a mismatch between potential federal funding capacity and the state match required; they said the state could access materially larger federal recoveries if more state match and staffing were available.

- LBI and ICAC operations: Freeman said the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation and the office’s Internet Crimes Against Children unit remain active; he noted steady arrest activity on Internet child‑exploitation cases and continued work on a range of criminal investigations across the state.

Ongoing investigations and local concerns

- Madison Parish hospital matter: Representative Thompson asked about a protracted hospital investigation in Madison Parish. Freeman said the matter is an active criminal investigation under the Attorney General’s office and that he could not disclose details publicly while the investigation remains open; he pledged the office was actively working the case and that the attorney general monitors it closely.

- Relationships and coordination: Freeman emphasized close coordination with the state police and local district attorneys (he singled out collaboration with the New Orleans’ district attorney’s office) and credited Troop NOLA as a force multiplier for prosecutions in New Orleans.

What lawmakers should expect

Freeman told the committee the Attorney General’s office would continue to press prosecutions in New Orleans and elsewhere, pursue recoveries through the Medicaid fraud unit and provide additional updates when investigations permit public disclosure. He stressed that the office is balancing prosecution workloads, civil defense tasks and special initiatives funded through statutory dedications and federal grants.

Sources: Presentation by Zion Wilson, House Fiscal Division; remarks by Larry Freeman, Chief Deputy Attorney General; budget slides and Q&A with members.