East Texas Mother, Son Indicted

A Longview, Texas mother and son have been indicted on federal charges in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherson today.

Gracie Brisco, 54, and her son, Robert Brisco, 29, were indicted by a federal grand jury on Mar. 22, 2017, and charged with multiple counts of student financial aid fraud.

According to the indictment, between June 2013 and September 2015, Gracie Brisco and Robert Brisco, aided and abetted by each other and others, knowingly and willfully misapplied, stole, and obtained by fraud, false statement, and forgery funds, assets, and property provided and insured under the Pell Grant Program and the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Programs.

If convicted, the defendants face up to five years in federal prison.  The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.  A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Longview Police Department, and the Kilgore College Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathanial Kummerfeld.

A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.