Feds Charge Atlanta Woman With Filing Two False Claims For FEMA
Hurricane Victims Funds
Contact: David E. Nahmias or F. Gentry Shelnutt through Patrick
Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney's Office, 404-581-6016
WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 /U.S. Newswire/ -- David E. Nahmias, United States
Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia; Gregory Jones, Special
Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Martin Phanco,
Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service; and
Richard L. Skinner, Inspector General of the Department of Homeland
Security, today announced the arrest of JOZELL LOIS DICKERSON, 35, of
Lawrenceville, Georgia. DICKERSON is charged in a federal indictment
with aggravated identity theft, stealing money from the United States
government, making false claims, and using a false social security
number, in connection with two false claims made to the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for $4,000 in relief funds
available to victims of Hurricane Katrina. According to Nahmias, the
indictment and information presented in court today:
DICKERSON, who was not a resident of New Orleans at the time of
Hurricane Katrina, used two different New Orleans addresses and the
social security number of another person within a span of one week to
make two false claims for FEMA monies meant for Hurricane Katrina
victims. September 8, 2005, DICKERSON made false statements about her
"New Orleans" residence in a call to FEMA, and gave her actual social
security number. On September 14, DICKERSON again called in to FEMA
making false statements and used a false social security number.
DICKERSON received a $2,000 electronic funds transfer on September 12
and another $2,000 electronic funds transfer on September16. DICKERSON
faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison on the aggravated
identity theft charge, in addition to a potential maximum penalty of
up to 20 years in federal prison on the additional charges, and a
maximum fine of over $1 million.
U.S. Attorney David Nahmias said of the case: "To date, U.S. Attornies
across the country have brought more than 40 federal prosecutions as
part of the Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force. This is the second
Katrina fraud case filed by this office. This defendant allegedly
filed not one but two false claims for hurricane victim funds from
FEMA, stealing another person's identity to use in making the second
false claim. We will not tolerate this sort of fraud, which steals
taxpayer dollars intended to help rebuild the lives of the thousands
of real victims of these terrible natural disasters."
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales recently created the Hurricane
Katrina Fraud Task Force, designed to deter, investigate and prosecute
disaster related federal crimes such as charity fraud and insurance.
The Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force -- chaired by Assistant Attorney
General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division -- includes members
from the FBI, the Federal Trade Commission, the Postal Inspector's
Office, and the Executive Office of the United States Attorneys, among
others.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains
charges. Under the constitution, the defendant is presumed innocent of
the charges and it will be the government's burden to prove the
defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by Special Agents of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of Inspectors with the
United States Postal Inspection Service and Special Agents with the
Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General.
Assistant United States Attorney Richard M. Langway is prosecuting the
case.
For further information please contact David E. Nahmias (pronounced
NAH-me-us), United States Attorney or F. Gentry Shelnutt, Chief,
Criminal Division, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer,
U.S. Attorney's Office, at (404) 581- 6016. The Internet address for
the Homepage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District
of Georgia is http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan
http://www.usnewswire.com/
Copyright 2005 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
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