U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that CHERKISSA JACKSON, 42, of Napoleonville, was charged today in a one-count Indictment with making false statements.
According to the Indictment, JACKSON filed an application with the Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency on Sept. 3, 2008, claiming a loss for a trailer located at 3342 Back Marais Street, Napoleonville, Louisiana. On Oct. 31, 2008, JACKSON received a wire transfer in the amount of $28,800 based on her claim of a loss to the trailer. However, the year before the storm, on January 6, 2007, JACKSON sold the trailer to another party as evidenced by a bill of sale, and thus, did not own the trailer on Sept. 1, 2008. On or about Feb. 23, 2012 in the Eastern District of Louisiana, the defendant JACKSON lied to a special agent of the Office of the Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security, namely, JACKSON told the agent that she owned the trailer at 3342 Back Marais Street, Napoleonville, at the time Hurricane Gustav impacted Napoleonville, when in truth and in fact, she had sold the trailer on January 6, 2007.
If convicted, JACKSON faces a possible maximum sentence of five years imprisonment, and/or a fine of $250,000 and up to three (3) years of supervised release.
The U. S. Attorney’s Office reiterated that an Indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General in investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K. D. Guice, Jr. of the Fraud Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
