Posted on 07/08/2009 4:38:35 PM PDT by Larry381
NEW ORLEANS, LA—WALLACE BOURGEOIS, JR., 35, a resident of LaPlace, Louisiana, was charged today in a one-count bill of information relating to fraudulent applications he made to the American Red Cross for financial assistance during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten.
According to the bill of information, the American Red Cross made disaster assistance money of up to $1,565 available to those affected by the hurricanes of 2005 on a one-time only basis. Documents show that on six occasions between September 2005 and October 2005, BOURGEOIS applied for and received disaster assistance funds from the Red Cross. The documents show that BOURGEOIS intentionally violated the Red Cross’s one-time only policy by continuing to apply for these funds, and representing that he had not received assistance in the past. The bill of information alleges that BOURGEOIS fraudulently obtained $7,525 from the American Red Cross.
If convicted, BOURGEOIS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years, a $250,0000 fine, and three (3) years of supervised release following imprisonment.
U.S. Attorney Letten reiterated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharan E. Lieberman.
Only “one count”? I count five times. He should be charged with one count for each fraudulent claim...
Spring of 2008 we had bad flooding here in WI. A man hired by the Red Cross to interview flood victims, was found to be filing fake claims in other’s names, issuing Red Cross debit cards to those false names and then he cashed those cards for his own use. There were also government programs set up using taxpayer money, and anyone, anyone, could walk into a flood relief center and claim they had damage, and get money. People in Milwaukee who had no damage were lined up getting free government money, all they had to do was lie.
“Let this send a Strong Message that we will not tolerate fraud, and that three, maybe four years after thousands of people swindle us, we’ll get around to making our first charge against one of them, as a Clear Message that Crime Does Not Pay...”
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