NAPOLEONVILLE WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO DEFRAUDING FEMA

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA -ALBERTINE WIGGINS, age 24, a resident of Napoleonville, Louisiana, pled guilty yesterday before U. S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle to wire fraud and theft of government funds related to a fraudulent FEMA application she filed in July of 2006, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.

According to court documents, ALBERTINE WIGGINS contacted FEMA purportedly to obtain financial assistance for another individual. In the course of this contact with FEMA, WIGGINS, provided her personal checking account number to FEMA, and as a result approximately $6,000 was transferred to WIGGINS. The individual for whom the assistance was to be provided did not receive the money.

U. S. Attorney Letten reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

ALBERTINE WIGGINS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years and is subject to a fine of up to $250,000. Her sentencing is scheduled for January 16, 2008.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Dan Friel.

United States Attorney Jim Letten Eastern District of Louisiana FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: KATHY ENGLISH THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2007 PHONE: (504) 680-3068 <http://WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/LAE> WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/LAE FAX: (504) 589-4978


NAPOLEONVILLE WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO DEFRAUDING FEMA NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA -ALBERTINE WIGGINS, age 24, a resident of Napoleonville, Louisiana, pled guilty yesterday before U. S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle to wire fraud and theft of government funds related to a fraudulent FEMA application she filed in July of 2006, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten. According to court documents, ALBERTINE WIGGINS contacted FEMA purportedly to obtain financial assistance for another individual. In the course of this contact with FEMA, WIGGINS, provided her personal checking account number to FEMA, and as a result approximately $6,000 was transferred to WIGGINS. The individual for whom the assistance was to be provided did not receive the money. U. S. Attorney Letten reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. ALBERTINE WIGGINS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years and is subject to a fine of up to $250,000. Her sentencing is scheduled for January 16, 2008. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Dan Friel.