Press Releases
PRISON TERM FOR FEMA FRAUD IN MISSISSIPPI
TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GULFPORT, Miss. - Steven J. Miller of Gulfport was sentenced to serve six months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for FEMA Fraud, U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton announced today. Miller was also ordered to pay $4,358.00 in restitution to FEMA.
Miller pled guilty in December, 2006, to submitting a false claim to FEMA for Hurricane Katrina disaster assistance funds. Miller caused $4,358 to be mailed from FEMA by providing a false address in Gulfport, Mississippi, and claiming hurricane damage at that address.
U.S. Attorney Lampton said, "The prosecution and sentence today show the continuing commitment of the Katrina Fraud Task Force to uphold the U.S. Attorney General's mandate of zero tolerance of Katrina Fraud."
This case is the result of a joint investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance provided by the U.S. Marshal Service.
In September, 2005, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales created the 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 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 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 file false and fraudulent claims.
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.
