LAFAYETTE, La. — A former medical clinic employee has been sentenced to 22 months in federal prison for embezzling more than $539,000 through unauthorized credit card transactions and payments drawn from her employers’ bank accounts.
U.S. District Judge Robert R. Summerhays sentenced Brooke Miller Duck, formerly known as Brooke Miller Tauzin, on July 31, 2026. The 31-year-old former Arnaudville resident was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay $539,451.41 in restitution.
Duck pleaded guilty on March 16, 2026, to wire fraud in connection with an embezzlement scheme that continued from May 2020 through October 2023.
According to court documents, Duck worked for two medical clinics with offices in Lafayette and Baton Rouge. Her position provided access to the clinics’ credit cards and bank accounts, placing her in control of financial resources intended for legitimate business expenses.
Duck used the clinics’ credit cards to complete unauthorized personal transactions. The purchases included expensive vacations, new vehicles, luxury consumer goods and a $15,000 payment connected to a timeshare vacation property.
She then drew money from the clinics’ bank accounts to pay the credit card balances created by those purchases. This allowed the unauthorized spending to be financed directly with money belonging to her employers.
Federal prosecutors determined that Duck caused $539,451.41 in unauthorized transactions for her personal use and financial benefit during the scheme.
The conduct was not treated as an allegation at sentencing. Duck admitted responsibility through her guilty plea, and the restitution order reflects the financial loss attributed to her offense.
Wire fraud can include schemes in which electronic financial transactions or interstate communications are used to obtain money through deception. Duck faced a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison before Judge Summerhays imposed the 22-month term.
The restitution requirement is separate from her prison sentence and supervised release. It creates a continuing obligation to repay the money stolen from the clinics, although the federal release did not disclose a payment schedule or identify how the restitution will be divided between the affected employers.
United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller said Duck had been held accountable for abusing her position and exploiting the trust placed in her by the clinics. Keller also described the prosecution as part of the government’s responsibility to protect small businesses from employees who misuse access to company finances.
The case demonstrates the financial exposure businesses can face when one employee has access to both company credit cards and the bank accounts used to pay them. Separating purchasing authority from payment approval can make unauthorized transactions more difficult to conceal and provide an opportunity for irregular spending to be detected sooner.
The FBI, the United States Secret Service and the Lafayette Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker prosecuted the case with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Denise Duhon. U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana announced the sentence.
🔥 NOW AVAILABLE! 🔥
🔥 NOW AVAILABLE! 🔥
📖 INK & FIRE: BOOK 1 📖
A bold and unapologetic collection of poetry that ignites the soul. Ink & Fire dives deep into raw emotions, truth, and the human experience—unfiltered and untamed
🔥 Kindle Edition 👉 https://a.co/d/9EoGKzh
🔥 Paperback 👉 https://a.co/d/9EoGKzh
🔥 Hardcover Edition 👉 https://a.co/d/0ITmDIB
🔥 NOW AVAILABLE! 🔥
📖 INK & FIRE: BOOK 2 📖
A bold and unapologetic collection of poetry that ignites the soul. Ink & Fire dives deep into raw emotions, truth, and the human experience—unfiltered and untamed just like the first one.
🔥 Kindle Edition 👉 https://a.co/d/1xlx7J2
🔥 Paperback 👉 https://a.co/d/a7vFHN6
🔥 Hardcover Edition 👉 https://a.co/d/efhu1ON
Get your copy today and experience poetry like never before. #InkAndFire #PoetryUnleashed #FuelTheFire
🚨 NOW AVAILABLE! 🚨
📖 THE INEVITABLE: THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA 📖
A powerful, eye-opening read that challenges the status quo and explores the future unfolding before us. Dive into a journey of truth, change, and the forces shaping our world.
🔥 Kindle Edition 👉 https://a.co/d/0FzX6MH
🔥 Paperback 👉 https://a.co/d/2IsxLof
🔥 Hardcover Edition 👉 https://a.co/d/bz01raP
Get your copy today and be part of the new era. #TheInevitable #TruthUnveiled #NewEra
🚀 NOW AVAILABLE! 🚀
📖 THE FORGOTTEN OUTPOST 📖
The Cold War Moon Base They Swore Never Existed
What if the moon landing was just the cover story?
Dive into the boldest investigation The Realist Juggernaut has ever published—featuring declassified files, ghost missions, whistleblower testimony, and black-budget secrets buried in lunar dust.
🔥 Kindle Edition 👉 https://a.co/d/2Mu03Iu
🛸 Paperback Coming Soon
Discover the base they never wanted you to find. TheForgottenOutpost #RealistJuggernaut #MoonBaseTruth #ColdWarSecrets #Declassified
Sponsored • TRJ Ads
Inquiries: contact@therealistjuggernaut.com
I think this lady got off easy. I know that in order to repay what she has stolen she has to have a job. I hope things that she purchased with the money she stole have been seized and used to help pay off her extensive “bills.”
The problem I see in this situation is her ability to get a job. Who will trust her after this crime? I hope she decides to become a law abiding citizen so that she can get work and hopefully rebuild her credibility. This is the long play and, of course, the right one. The choice is hers and she only has 22 months to decide what she will try to do. I hope she begins to read the Bible and sees that an entirely different life is available.
Thank you for this article.
Thank you very much, Chris.
I understand why the 22-month sentence appears lenient when compared with the amount stolen. The public release does not provide the sentencing-guideline range, Duck’s criminal history, the arguments presented by either side, or the judge’s reasons for selecting that term. It also does not state whether the vehicles, timeshare interest, or other purchases were seized.
As you said, I hope Brooke Duck chooses a better life and turns to the Bible for guidance toward a different path from the one she is on now. Repayment, accountability, and her conduct after release will demonstrate whether that change is genuine.
Thank you again for reading and for sharing your thoughtful perspective, Chris. I hope you have a great day ahead. 😎