United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama announces today that Catrina Jefferson, 38, of Irvington, Alabama, was sentenced today to 15 months of imprisonment by Senior U.S. District Judge Callie V. S. Granade for conspiring to commit wire fraud and mail fraud. The judge ordered that Jefferson undergo 3 years of supervised release upon completing her term of imprisonment, pay $155,700 in restitution to the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF), undergo substance abuse and mental health treatment, face credit restrictions, and pay a $100 mandatory special assessment.
Jefferson was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2015 for seeking personal financial gain by defrauding British Petroleum and the GCCF through the preparation and filing of false GCCF Claim Forms and supporting documents. As part of the scheme, Jefferson used the social security numbers and other personal identifiers of several individuals. She sent the GCCF false documents, such as pay stubs, Form W-2s, employment verification letters, and tax returns. Jefferson used a tax preparation business called Jefferson Tax Services in furtherance of the scheme. She arranged to directly receive payments from the GCCF. She unlawfully endorsed GCCF checks and deposited money into bank accounts under her control. On May 19, 2016, Jefferson pled guilty to one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud and mail fraud.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sinan Kalayoglu.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
