Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - DOROTHY D. BARNEY, 58, of Dallas, Texas, has been sentenced to 14 months in federal prison for fraud in connection with federal disaster relief, announced Robert J. Troester, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.
On May 20, 2013, a tornado caused significant damage in Moore, Oklahoma. According to an indictment filed on December 6, 2016, Barney applied for disaster aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency ("FEMA") relating to the tornado in early June 2013. Rather than using her own name, she used the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of a person with the initials C.W. The application claimed damage to an apartment at 854 S.W. 10th Street in Moore. There was no apartment at that address, however. Furthermore, C.W. had not given Barney permission to submit an application for disaster aid and did not live in Moore.
On Aug. 11, 2017, Barney pleaded guilty and admitted she had used a materially false document to request disaster aid from FEMA.
Today U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot sentenced Barney to 14 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $14,974.83 in restitution to FEMA.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security-Office of Inspector General and the United States Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Maxfield Green prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to court filings for further information.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
