FIVE PLEAD GUILTY TO KATRINA FRAUD

 

Jackson, Mississippi - United States Attorney Dunn Lampton announced today that the following five individuals have entered guilty pleas in U.S. District Court for FEMA fraud:

Clarence H. Hall, Jr., of Waveland, Mississippi, pled guilty to making a false claim to FEMA for Hurricane Katrina disaster assistance funds. Hall received $23,818.00 from FEMA by giving a false address in Waveland, Mississippi, and claiming hurricane damage at that address. At the time Hurricane Katrina hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Hall was living at a different address.

Duane Adams, of Moss Point, Mississippi, pled guilty to making a false claim to FEMA for Hurricane Katrina disaster assistance funds. Adams received $25,562.75 from FEMA by giving a false address in Moss Point, Mississippi, and claiming hurricane damage at that address. At the time Hurricane Katrina hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Adams was at a different address. Adams was also an employee of FEMA at the time he made the false claim.

Emily Fuqua, of Moss Point, Mississippi, pled guilty to making false statements to FEMA for Duane Adams in assisting him with receiving Hurricane Katrina disaster assistance funds. Fuqua’s statements resulted in Adams receiving $25,562.75 from FEMA by providing a false address in Moss Point, Mississippi, and claiming hurricane damage at that address. Fuqua was an employee of FEMA when she made the false statements to FEMA.

Hassie Baker, of Vicksburg, Mississippi, pled guilty to making a false claim to FEMA for Hurricane Katrina disaster assistance funds. Baker received $2,000.00 from FEMA by giving a false address in Gulfport, Mississippi, and claiming hurricane damage at that address when in fact it was her brother’s address. Baker never lived there. At the time Hurricane Katrina hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Baker was living in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Patti D. Richards, of Vicksburg, Mississippi, pled guilty to making a false claim to FEMA for Hurricane Katrina disaster assistance funds. Richards received $2,000.00 from FEMA by giving a false address in Gulfport, Mississippi, and claiming hurricane damage at that address, when in fact it was her brother’s address and she had never lived there. At the time Hurricane Katrina hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Richards was living in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Each of these defendants faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola will sentence Hassie Baker and Patti D. Edwards on April 7, 2006 at 9:00 a.m. Clarence H. Hall, Jr., Duane Adams, and Emily Fuqua will be sentenced on April 9, 2006 at 9:00 a.m.

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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