MISSISSIPPI WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO KATRINA FRAUD

GULFPORT, Miss. – Christina Moses, of Ocean Springs, Miss., pled guilty on Tuesday, July 10, to submitting  false claims to FEMA and to the Mississippi Development Authority for Hurricane Katrina disaster assistance funds, U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton announced today. Moses received $24,936.66 from FEMA by providing a false address in Ocean Springs, Miss., and claiming personal losses as a result of hurricane damage at that address.

State Auditor Phil Bryant, whose office investigated the case, stated, "Christina Moses' guilty plea is good news.  Too many deserving home owners and taxpayers are in dire need of the monies provided by HUD for the Homeowner Assistance Program.  The Office of the State Auditor is honored to be a part the State and Federal team that works on preventing and detecting fraud.  We will continue to investigate all inquiries made through our Katrina Fraud Unit and work closely with the U.S. Attorney's Office in the prosecution of each indictment."

Moses will be sentenced by United States District Judge Louis Guirola on October 9, 2007, at 9:00 a.m. at the Federal Courthouse in Gulfport.

In September, 2005, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales created the national  Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force, designed to deter, investigate and prosecute disaster-related federal crimes such as charity fraud, identity theft, procurement fraud and insurance fraud.  The Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force - chaired by Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, Alice S. Fisher, includes members from the FBI, the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the Postal Inspector’s Office and the Executive Office of United States Attorneys, among others.

Pursuant to the Justice Department initiative, a local Katrina Fraud Task Force, consisting of over 20 Federal and State law enforcement agencies, was formed in the Southern District of
Mississippi to pursue and prosecute individuals who engage in fraud associated with the hurricanes.                   

If anyone has information concerning possible fraud being committed during the post-Katrina recovery effort, please call either the DHS-OIG Fraud Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or the FBI Fraud Hotline at 1-800-225-5324.

 

 

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