Woman Accused of Stealing $269K in Louisiana Teacher Retirement Funds

A Florida woman is now behind bars in East Baton Rouge Parish, accused of stealing more than $269,000 in benefits from the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL). Authorities say she continued collecting retirement checks for over a decade after her mother’s death.

Arrest Tied to Late Louisiana Educator

ILA Marcea Jacobs, 49, of Pensacola, was arrested on July 28 following an investigation by Attorney General Liz Murrill’s Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (LBI). Jacobs is the daughter of Loretta Jacobs, a retired Louisiana teacher who passed away in December 2011.

Instead of reporting her mother’s death, authorities say Jacobs kept receiving her retirement checks, depositing them into a Chase Bank account in her mother’s name and using the funds for personal expenses.

According to court documents, Jacobs submitted a Power of Attorney form, invalid after death, to change the address on file and redirect payments to her Florida residence. The fraud went undetected until April 2024.

Over a Decade of Fraud

Between January 2012 and April 2024, TRSL unknowingly paid out $269,386.12. Investigators say Jacobs used the funds on subscriptions, ATM withdrawals, and even created a CashApp account in her mother’s name years after her passing.

She allegedly transferred money between the two accounts and used the same Pensacola address for both profiles.

Special Agent Takenia Roberts with LBI issued the arrest affidavit, and a warrant was signed by Commissioner Nicole Robinson of the 19th Judicial District Court in Baton Rouge on July 15. Jacobs was extradited from Florida and booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on July 31.

She faces one felony count of Government Benefits Fraud.

AG Murrill: “We’ll Find You”

Attorney General Liz Murrill issued a strong statement:

“If you are illegally receiving government benefits and taking advantage of the system here in Louisiana, even if you live in a completely different state like this woman, we will find you and bring you back for Louisiana justice.”

The case remains under investigation, and no bond amount has been released.