Hattiesburg, Miss - Joseph C. Ziegler, Jr., 67, of Gulfport, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to misprision of a felony, announced U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis and Acting FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp.
Ziegler admitted helping conceal the crime of mail fraud which involved diverting funds intended for the State of Mississippi into a private bank account controlled by William Walker, former Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources.
Ziegler will be sentenced on Nov. 10, 2014 by U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett in Hattiesburg. The maximum penalty for misprision of a felony is 3 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Mississippi State Auditor’s Office. Criminal Division Chief John Dowdy, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry Rushing and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Golden are prosecuting the case.
If you believe you have been a victim of fraud from a person or an organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of storm victims, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud toll free at:
(866) 720-5721
You can also fax information to:
(225) 334-4707
or e-mail it to:
disaster@leo.gov
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Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
