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Natalbany Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding American Red Cross in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
NEW ORLEANS, LA—ANTOINE ATTAWAY, age 30, a resident of Natalbany, Louisiana, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier to a one count bill of information for mail fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten.
According to court documents, the American Red Cross made disaster assistance funds of up to $1,565 available to those affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 on a one-time only basis. The defendant admitted that between September and October of 2005, he applied for and received these funds on three separate occasions each time claiming that he had not yet received any disaster assistance funds from the Red Cross. In all, ATTAWAY fraudulently obtained $3,130 from the American Red Cross.
The defendant faces a possible maximum penalty of twenty (20) years' imprisonment, three (3) years' supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment. Sentencing has been scheduled for July 22, 2009 at 1:30 p.m.
The case was investigated by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Chester.
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