Gregory Warr, the former mayor of Gulfport, MS, was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Gulfport, MS, to 3 years probation and ordered to pay the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) $9,558 in restitution for his earlier guilty plea to committing theft of FEMA funds. Warr applied for and received $150,000 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA), $9,558 in FEMA disaster assistance, and $88,440 in insurance proceeds for hurricane-damaged residential property, but the damaged property was not his primary residence during Hurricane Katrina..
Diane Walder, a HUD attorney in Los Angeles, CA, and her husband James Groomes were each indicted in U.S. District Court, Jackson, MS, for allegedly committing theft of government funds and making false statements and claims. Walder and Groomes applied for and received $150,000 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the MDA and $50,000 in Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster assistance for hurricane-damaged residential property, but allegedly the damaged property was not their primary residence during Hurricane Katrina.
Copyright 2009. The Times-Picayune. New Orleans, LA. Reprinted with permission.
Jerome and Catherine Foreman were each convicted in U.S. District Court, Gulfport, MS, of committing theft of government funds and making false statements and claims. Jerome and Catherine Foreman applied for and received $150,000 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the MDA and $8,706 in FEMA disaster assistance for hurricane-damaged residential property, but the damaged property was not their primary residence during Hurricane Katrina.
Lionel Perkins was charged in U.S. District Court, New Orleans, LA, with allegedly committing theft of government funds and wire fraud. Perkins applied for and received $150,000 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the Road Home program and caused the Road Home administrator to remit $58,500 in CDBG funds to repay his SBA disaster assistance loan, but allegedly the damaged property was not his primary residence during Hurricane Katrina.
Pearl DiLeo was sentenced in U.S. District Court, New Orleans, LA, to 5 years probation and fined $30,000. She remitted $149,925 to the Louisiana Office of Community Development prior to sentencing for her earlier guilty plea to committing theft of government funds. DiLeo applied for and received $149,925 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the Road Home program for hurricane-damaged residential property, but the damaged property was not her primary residence during Hurricane Katrina.
Jacqueline Foreman-Pottinger was sentenced in U.S. District Court, New Orleans, LA, to 3 years probation and ordered to pay the Louisiana Office of Community Development $148,079 in restitution for her earlier guilty plea to committing theft of government funds. Pottinger applied for and received $148,079 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the Road Home program for hurricane-damaged residential property, but the damaged property was not her primary residence during Hurricane Katrina.
Robert Lombardino pled guilty in U.S. District Court, New Orleans, LA, to committing theft of government funds. Lombardino applied for and received $134,000 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the Road Home program for hurricane-damaged residential property, but the damaged property was not his primary residence during Hurricane Katrina.
Barbara Dowl was convicted in U.S. District Court, New Orleans, LA, of making false statements and committing theft of government funds and wire fraud. Dowl applied for and received $132,000 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the Road Home program and $75,000 in SBA disaster assistance for hurricane-damaged residential property, but Dowl did not own or reside in the damaged property during Hurricane Katrina.
Copyright 2009. The Times-Picayune. New Orleans, LA. Reprinted withLouis Stiglet pled guilty in U.S. District Court, Jackson, MS, to committing theft of government funds. Stiglet applied for and received $131,021 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the MDA for hurricane- damaged property, but the damaged property was not his primary residence during Hurricane Katrina.
Frederick Rabito was charged in U.S. District Court, New Orleans, LA, with allegedly making false statements. Rabito applied for and received $122,397 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the Road Home program for hurricane-damaged residential property, but allegedly the damaged property was not his primary residence during Hurricane Katrina.
Thomas Steele was charged in U.S. District Court, New Orleans, LA, with allegedly making false statements. Steele applied for and received $119,935 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the Road Home program and $1,070 in FEMA disaster assistance for hurricane-damaged residential property, but allegedly Steele does not reside in Louisiana as required by the Road Home program.
Eva Baptiste was sentenced in U.S. District Court, New Orleans, LA, to 5 years probation, ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and pay the Louisiana Office of Community Development $110,420 in restitution, and fined $1,000 for her earlier guilty plea to committing theft of government funds. Baptiste applied for and received $110,420 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the Road Home program for hurricane-damaged residential property, but the damaged property was not her primary residence during Hurricane Katrina.
Ryant Price was charged in U.S. District Court, New Orleans, LA, with allegedly making false statements and committing theft of government funds and wire and mail fraud. Price applied for and received $105,000 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the Road Home program for hurricane-damaged residential property, but allegedly the damaged property was not his primary residence during Hurricane Katrina.
Billy Lawrence was sentenced in U.S. District Court, New Orleans, LA, to 6 months confinement in a half-way house and 5 years probations and ordered to pay the Louisiana Office of Community Development $68,486 in restitution for his earlier guilty plea to committing theft of government funds. Lawrence applied for and received $98,486 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the Road Home program for hurricane-damaged residential property, but the damaged property was not his primary residence during Hurricane Katrina.
Wayne Rogers and Latanicia McMillan were each charged in U.S. District Court, Jackson, MS, with allegedly committing a conspiracy, theft of government property, and money laundering. Rogers and McMillan applied for and received $91,021 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the MDA, $4,358 in FEMA disaster assistance, and $152,000 in SBA disaster loan funds for hurricane-damaged residential property, but allegedly the damaged property was not their primary residence during Hurricane Katrina.
Charles Thonn was charged in U.S. District Court, New Orleans, LA, with allegedly committing theft of government funds. Thonn applied for and received $80,368 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the Road Home program for hurricane-damaged residential property, but allegedly the damaged property was not his primary residence during Hurricane Katrina.
Raymond Cuccia was sentenced in U.S. District Court, New Orleans, LA, to 3 years probation and ordered to pay the Louisiana Office of Community Development $64,320 in restitution for his earlier guilty plea to committing theft of government funds. Cuccia applied for and received $64,320 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the Road Home program for hurricane-damaged residential property, but the damaged property was not his primary residence during Hurricane Katrina.
Anita Belaire pled guilty in U.S. District Court, Lake Charles, LA, to committing theft of government funds. Belaire applied for and received $55,600 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the Road Home program for hurricane-damaged residential property that does not exist.
Andrew Ealy III was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Baton Rouge, LA, to 3 years probation and fined $1,500 for his earlier guilty plea to committing wire fraud. Ealy provided false information and fraudulently obtained $94,000 in SBA disaster loan funds for hurricane-damaged residential property. Ealy then legitimately applied for and received $101,797 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the Road Home program but caused the Road Home administrator to remit $50,000 in CDBG funds to repay his fraudulent SBA loan.
Schewanda Baptiste was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Greenbelt, MD, to 8 months home confinement with electronic monitoring and 3 years probation and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service and pay HUD $30,000 and FEMA $19,458 in restitution for her earlier guilty plea to committing theft of government property. Baptiste applied for and received $30,000 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the Road Home program and FEMA disaster assistance after she claimed hurricane-damaged residential property and evacuee status, but Baptiste resided in Maryland during Hurricane Katrina, and the damaged property was not her primary residence.
Donelle Humphrey was charged in U.S. District Court, New Orleans, LA, with allegedly making a false statement. Humphrey applied for and received $22,321 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the Road Home program for hurricane-damaged residential property, but allegedly the damaged property was not her primary residence during Hurricane Katrina.
Shawntell Manuel pled guilty in U.S. District Court, New Orleans, LA, to committing theft of government funds. Manuel applied for and received $123,800 in SBA disaster loan funds and attempted to obtain $150,000 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the Road Home program for hurricane-damaged residential property, but the damaged property does not exist.
Clinton Tapper, Jr., was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Gulfport, MS, to 3 years probation and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service, pay FEMA $14,006 and the SBA $179,400 in restitution, and forfeit $193,406 for his earlier guilty plea to making false claims. Tapper applied for and received $14,006 in FEMA disaster assistance and $179,400 in SBA disaster loan funds and attempted to obtain $100,000 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the MDA for hurricane-damaged residential property, but the damaged property was not his primary residence during Hurricane Katrina.
Todd Northrop pled guilty in U.S. District Court, Jackson, MS, to committing mail fraud. Northrop applied for and received $21,757 in FEMA disaster assistance and attempted to obtain $81,133 in CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance funds through the MDA for hurricane-damaged residential property, but the damaged property was not his primary residence during Hurricane Katrina.