Noie Hesbrook III, a Texas headstone maker, was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Baton Rouge on Wednesday for allegedly defrauding dozens of customers.
Gocha Allen Ramirez, the District Attorney for Rio Grande City, reported that Hesbrook is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from at least 90 customers, including 23 elderly individuals.
In February, it was revealed that Hesbrook promised to create and install headstones but ceased communication after receiving payments. Following his initial arrest in February, he was released on bond but failed to appear for his arraignment on March 27. Authorities state that he evaded capture for two months before his arrest in Baton Rouge, though it remains unclear how long he had been in the city.
The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the Rio Grande Police Department, the U.S. Marshals of the Middle District of Louisiana, the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Fugitive Task Force, and the Starr County Sheriff’s Office.
Hesbrook has been booked into the West Baton Rouge Parish Prison and is awaiting transfer to Texas, facing charges of first-degree theft. He is currently held without bond.