TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Today's Scum Report

Today's Scum Report

Associated Press (ap@telecom-digest.org)
Thu, 13 Oct 2005 17:38:33 -0500

Some Post-Katrina Fraud Arrests
By The Associated Press

Some arrests in federal fraud investigations from Hurricane Katrina.

___

THE ACCUSED: George Marrero and Michelle Lynn Goodwin, both of Waco,
Texas.

THE CHARGES: Authorities say Marrero and Goodwin falsely claimed
Louisiana residency and losses from Hurricane Katrina in an online
application for between $2,000 and $4,000 in FEMA benefits.

CHARGES ANNOUNCED: Oct. 12 in San Antonio, Texas.

___

THE ACCUSED: Bryan Michael Beets of Vicksburg, Miss., and Markqus
Antonio Brown, Henry Jerome Armstrong and Ebony Hawkins, all of
Meridian, Miss.

THE CHARGES: The four are accused of applying for disaster relief aid,
falsely claiming to have lived in homes damaged by Katrina. Authorities
said they did not live at the address they listed on their claim when
Katrina hit.

CHARGES ANNOUNCED: Oct. 6-7 in Jackson, Miss.

___

THE ACCUSED: Joseph Earl Johnson, 48, of Lufkin, Texas.

THE CHARGE: Johnson is accused of claiming he lived in Beaumont, Texas,
and that his home was destroyed during Hurricane Rita, to apply for FEMA
benefits.

CHARGE ANNOUNCED: Oct. 6 in Lufkin.

___

THE ACCUSED: Yolanda Toliver, 46, of Minden, La., and Eugenia Jones, 53,
of Elm Grove, La.

THE CHARGES: Authorities said Toliver and Jones fraudulently claimed to
be New Orleans residents whose homes were destroyed by Katrina when they
applied for $2,000 in FEMA aid. FEMA mailed a $2,000 check to Toliver
and deposited the money in Jones' bank account.

CHARGES ANNOUNCED: Oct. 5 in Shreveport, La.

___

THE ACCUSED: Walter Ray Stall, also known as Ray Johnson, 43, of
Palestine, Texas.

THE CHARGE: Stall is accused of claiming he was a New Orleans resident
whose home, personal property and vehicle were damaged in the storm to
apply for $2,000 in FEMA aid. FEMA sent a Treasury check to Texas, where
Stall lives.

CHARGE ANNOUNCED: Oct. 4 in Tyler, Texas.

___

THE ACCUSED: John Phillip Dugan, 19, of Baton Rouge, La., and Ursula R.
Johnson, 33, of Baker, La.

THE CHARGES: Authorities said Dugan applied for FEMA relief funds using
a false address from the disaster area, while Johnson is accused of
using her brother's name and her aunt's New Orleans address to register
for aid. Both deposited FEMA checks into bank accounts.

CHARGES ANNOUNCED: Oct. 4 in Baton Rouge, La.

___

THE ACCUSED: Trent Jermaine Preslie, 33, Aminah Randle, 19, Robert
Johnson, 23, Miko Shannia Nobles, 22, Tonjua Randle, 39, Sheena Porter,
21, Stanley Lewis, 44, Candice Brown, 20, Elizabeth Ray, 48, Nashima
Johnson, 27, Harold D. Oats, 26, David R. Candelaria, 37, Marisela
Gonzalez, 27, Morgan Winslow, 33, and Marietta Snowden 48, all of
Bakersfield, Calif.

THE CHARGES: All 15 were employed,at a Red Cross call center in
Bakersfield. Authorities say they believe the accused used victims'
information to qualify for Red Cross financial aid that was then wired
to Western Union and collected by themselves instead of the victims.

CHARGES ANNOUNCED: Oct. 4-6 in Fresno, Calif.

___

THE ACCUSED: Gary S. Kraser, 51, of Aventura, Fla.

THE CHARGE: Kraser is accused of raising nearly $40,000 over two days on
a Web site by falsely claiming he would fly medical supplies to areas
hit by Hurricane Katrina and help evacuate children and critically ill
patients. His attorney has since said Kraser gave the money back and
then chartered a plane to provide medical supplies.

CHARGE ANNOUNCED: Oct. 3 in Miami.

___

THE ACCUSED: Barney Spears, 38, of Houston.

THE CHARGE: Spears is charged with claiming in an online FEMA
application that his primary residence was in New Orleans and that he
needed food, shelter and clothing after the storm. He picked up a $2,000
FEMA check from Western Union, even though authorities say he has lived
in Houston since October 2004.

CHARGE ANNOUNCED: Sept. 30 in Houston.

___

THE ACCUSED: Kenneth M. Hodge, 33, and Veronica Jaeger, 22, both of
Florida.

THE CHARGES: Hodge and Jaeger are charged with applying for $2,000 in
FEMA aid by claiming they lost their homes in Slidell, La., even
though they live in Florida. They picked up the checks at a Louisiana
shelter and used some of the relief money to buy cocaine, authorities
allege.

CHARGES ANNOUNCED: Sept. 29 in Shreveport, La.

___

THE ACCUSED: Nakia Dewuane Grimes, 30, of Atlanta.

THE CHARGE: Grimes is accused of applying for $2,000 in FEMA aid though
the Internet by claiming she was a Katrina victim from New Orleans, even
though she lives in Atlanta. Authorities say she asked for the check to
be mailed to a relative's home in Atlanta. She was arrested after she
picked up the FEMA check at a post office.

CHARGE ANNOUNCED: Sept. 21 in Atlanta.

___

THE ACCUSED: Tino Lee, 44, of Burbank, Calif., and Gina Liz Nicholas,
19, of Glendale, Calif.

THE CHARGES: Authorities say Lee and Nicholas posed as Red Cross
officials and set up a donations table outside a Best Buy electronics
store in Burbank to collect money for themselves.

CHARGES ANNOUNCED: Sept. 16 in Los Angeles.

___

Source: Justice Department.

All readers are reminded that the United States Constitution requires
that all these folks be presumed innocent until their guilt is
proven beyond a doubt in a court of law.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.

Post Followup Article Use your browser's quoting feature to quote article into reply
Go to Next message: Reuters News Wire: "Gemstar Sues Tribune Over Online TV Listings"
Go to Previous message: Patrick Townson: "Last Laugh! People Doing Stupid Things: Spammer Makes Death Threat"
TELECOM Digest: Home Page