Hurricane Ida Roof Claim Fraud: Attorney Charged

Updated September 1, 2026

Federal prosecutors have charged Louisiana attorney Richard William Huye III with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a case involving Hurricane Ida homeowners insurance claims. The August 28, 2026 charge alleges that hundreds of representation letters misrepresented whom a law firm represented and that some homeowners’ settlement proceeds were affected. The case is pending. Huye has not been convicted, and no homeowner restitution or refund program has been announced.

What Happened

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana announced on August 28 that Richard William Huye III, 34, was charged by bill of information with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

According to the federal charging allegations, Huye began working for a Texas-based law firm three days after Hurricane Ida struck southeast Louisiana on August 29, 2021. The firm later opened a New Orleans office.

The Justice Department identifies the business only as “Law Firm A” and identifies a separate business only as an Alabama roofing company. This report uses those government labels rather than relying on secondary reporting to identify entities that DOJ did not name in its release.

A bill of information is a charging document. DOJ expressly states that the charge does not establish guilt and that guilt must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt.

What Prosecutors Allege

According to DOJ, Law Firm A encouraged an Alabama roofing company to operate in Louisiana using assignment-of-benefits agreements.

Prosecutors say many of the relevant homeowners insurance policies either contained restrictions on assignments or required approval before an assignment could be made.

The roofing company allegedly obtained assignments from hundreds of Louisiana homeowners and forwarded claims to Law Firm A.

DOJ further alleges that the law firm instructed the roofing company to execute attorney-retention contracts on behalf of homeowners without their knowledge or authorization.

Huye is accused of electronically sending letters to insurers that stated Law Firm A represented only the insured homeowner while allegedly failing to disclose the roofing company’s assignment-of-benefits interest.

Prosecutors also allege that misleading representations were made in other communications, mediations and court filings.

Why the 856 Letters Matter

DOJ says the alleged conduct surfaced during federal court proceedings in February 2023.

According to the government’s August 28 release, counsel for Law Firm A acknowledged that at least 856 false or misleading representation letters had been sent.

DOJ also says at least nine matters had been settled through mediation without disclosing that Law Firm A represented the roofing company through an assignment of benefits.

The government additionally alleges that at least one complaint for damages was filed without the homeowner’s full consent and that several declaratory-judgment complaints inaccurately described whom the law firm represented.

How Eight Homeowners Were Allegedly Affected

The bill of information describes the experiences of eight Louisiana homeowners whose Hurricane Ida property claims prosecutors say were affected by the alleged conduct.

According to DOJ, most of those homeowners either did not receive money designated for roof repairs or received reduced proceeds because allegedly unauthorized attorney fees or expenses were withheld.

Prosecutors also allege that a co-conspirator endorsed some settlement checks without proper homeowner authorization and deposited funds intended for property damage into Law Firm A’s bank account.

Those are allegations. The public release does not establish that every one of the 856 representation letters caused financial harm, and it does not provide a final aggregate homeowner-loss figure.

Three Different Documents Homeowners Should Review

The allegations involve several types of documents that serve different legal purposes.

• Assignment of benefits: may transfer specified post-loss insurance rights or proceeds to another party, depending on applicable law and contract terms.
• Attorney-retention agreement: establishes an attorney-client relationship and may address fees, expenses and authority to act.
• Settlement-check endorsement: authorizes negotiation or deposit of a particular payment.

Authorization involving one type of document should not automatically be assumed to authorize another. Homeowners reviewing an old Hurricane Ida claim should examine each document separately.

Louisiana’s Current Assignment-of-Benefits Law

Louisiana law now broadly restricts assignments of post-loss benefits under residential and commercial property insurance policies.

Under Louisiana Revised Statute 22:1275, a person generally may not solicit or accept an assignment, in whole or in part, of post-loss property-insurance benefits. The statute says prohibited assignment agreements are against public policy and are null and void, while providing specified exceptions.

The law also states that it should not be interpreted to prohibit an attorney from collecting a lawful contingency fee for an action related to a property-insurance claim.

Timing matters: R.S. 22:1275 was added by Acts 2023, No. 364. The Hurricane Ida transactions described by federal prosecutors began earlier. The current statute therefore should not be used by itself to characterize the legality of every 2021 agreement. The policy language and law applicable when each transaction occurred would need to be reviewed.

What the Federal Charge Does Not Mean

• No conviction: Huye has been charged, not convicted.
• No restitution order: The August 28 DOJ announcement does not establish an amount that Huye must repay homeowners.
• No refund program: There is no announced homeowner claims portal or compensation program tied to this criminal charge.
• No automatic insurance reopening: The federal prosecution does not automatically reopen a closed Hurricane Ida insurance claim.
• No automatic extension of civil deadlines: Homeowners should not assume that the criminal proceeding pauses a contractual, statutory or litigation deadline.

What Potentially Affected Homeowners Can Do

1. Request the complete insurance claim file. Ask for representation letters, assignments, correspondence, mediation records, settlement documents and payment records.
2. Collect attorney documents. Locate any engagement or retention agreement, fee contract, settlement statement and authorization bearing your name or signature.
3. Obtain check records. Request front-and-back images of insurance settlement checks when available and identify every endorsement and deposit.
4. Reconcile the money. Compare the insurer’s payment amount with money received by the homeowner, contractor and law firm and with fees or expenses deducted.
5. Preserve original evidence. Keep emails, text messages, contracts, invoices, claim numbers and payment records. Avoid posting sensitive documents publicly.
6. Consider independent legal advice. A lawyer unaffiliated with the original claim can evaluate authorization, fees, contractual rights and applicable deadlines.

Louisiana Insurance Complaint Options

Consumers with an unresolved insurance issue can use the Louisiana Department of Insurance consumer complaint form.

The department says consumers should be prepared to provide information such as the insurer, policy number, claim number and documents supporting the complaint.

The department can investigate complaints against insurers, agents and adjusters and enforce Louisiana insurance laws. It also states that it cannot give legal advice, act as a consumer’s attorney or interfere in a pending lawsuit.

Suspected insurance fraud can be reported through the Louisiana Department of Insurance fraud-reporting service or by calling 1-800-259-5300.

Complaints About Attorney Conduct

The Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board complaint process explains how allegations of lawyer misconduct may be submitted to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel.

The disciplinary authority requires complaints regarding attorneys to be submitted in writing. A disciplinary complaint is designed to address professional conduct; it does not itself function as a civil damages claim or guarantee financial recovery.

Federal Disaster-Fraud Reporting Has Changed

The Justice Department closed the National Center for Disaster Fraud effective March 31, 2026.

DOJ now directs people with disaster-related fraud reports to agencies based on the type of suspected misconduct. Its current disaster-fraud resource directory provides those agency-specific reporting routes.

Bottom Line

Federal prosecutors allege that Richard William Huye III participated in a Hurricane Ida insurance-claim scheme involving misrepresented legal representation, assignments of benefits and settlement proceeds.

The most important legal distinction is that the August 28 filing is a charge, not a conviction. No restitution or homeowner refund program has been announced.

Homeowners who recognize the described circumstances should preserve their insurance and legal records, identify who authorized representation and payments, reconcile settlement proceeds and obtain independent advice about any individual recovery rights or deadlines.