U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that RAMONA HUDSON, age 51, a resident of Slidell, Louisiana, pled guilty yesterday to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud relating to a fraudulent application she made or caused to be made to the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) for financial assistance during the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
According to court documents, the GCCF made disaster assistance money available to individuals and businesses affected by the oil spill resulting from the Deepwater Horizon explosion. The GCCF required individuals to verify loss of income. On Oct. 1, 2010, HUDSON applied for disaster assistance funds, representing that she was employed in a commercial fishing business before the oil spill. However, HUDSON had never worked in the commercial fishing business, and she submitted or caused to be submitted false documentation to establish her false earnings. Based on HUDSON’S fraudulent application, HUDSON received approximately $75,000 to which she was not entitled.
HUDSON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following imprisonment. U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk set sentencing for January 8, 2015.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Secret Service in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Julia K. Evans is in charge of the prosecution.
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Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
