Local man indicted in fema fraud

[CajunMama]

I'm so glad these 2 were caught cheating fema. Hopefully there will be more to come in the future.

Local man admits to FEMA fraud
Kayla Gagnet
kgagnet@theadvertiser.com

An Opelousas man pleaded guilty this morning to FEMA fraud, admitting that he lied about being a Hurricane Katrina evacuee from Gulfport, Miss.
Damien Lamont Chevis, 25, pleaded guilty to theft of public money. He testified in court that he received a $2,000 check from the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Nov. 29 that he used to buy clothing and a television set.

A related charge of mail fraud, for allegedly using the U.S. Postal Service to defraud the government, was dropped as part of a plea agreement, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke Walker.

Walker told U.S. District Judge Rebecca Doherty that he did not object to a sentence on the lower end of the sentencing spectrum. Chevis could face a fine of up to $250,000 or a prison sentence of up to 10 years, or both.

In an unrelated case of FEMA fraud, Dwana Martin is scheduled to plead guilty this afternoon, also before Judge Doherty. She is charged with mail fraud and making a false statement for allegedly defrauding FEMA to get hurricane aid.

Originally published June 23, 2006

http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs. ... 1/60623005

[timNms]

It's sad to say, but there were several people around my area who provided false into to get FEMA money. What burns me up about it is that people who needed FEMA or Red Cross monies couldn't get it because of idiots like that.

[hurricanesurvivor]

Exactly. My grandmother, who had 3 trees through her home and ended up having a heart attack and dying right after the storm, and my mom and dad, as well as several of my friends who lost a great deal, never received a penny of assistance. We received the $2000 and ended up giving most of it to my parents to help them out, since they didn't get anything.

We were promised that because my grandmother died as a result of the storm, her funeral would be paid for by FEMA. You can imagine what the funeral home said to that. Yeah, right! We've never seen a penny. Her house still sits, waiting on FEMA assistance. Full of black mold, and rotting through and through. My dad finally scraped up enough money to replace the blue roof with something more substantial so the house wouldn't just fall in on itself. Several homes in my neighborhood have been condemned and will be demolished. And we're 25 miles from the coast, albeit on the LA/MS state line where the eye came over.

I used to be spitting mad at FEMA, but I'm beginning to realize it was the fault of morons such as the one in this article, that are really to blame.

[Dionne]

It is very unfortunate that people have stolen emergency funds. People that are using FEMA trailers as second homes. People that recieved money for lost food in freezers that never owned a freezer.

And then you see the people that are basically still down and out trying to make ends meet.

There is a young man that lives in a FEMA trailer next to one of our jobsites in Waveland. He is blind. He lives in the trailer with his Mom. Before Katrina, he was able to walk around his neighborhood with his cane. Now he cannot move around at all. He lost all his points of reference. The trailer is ridiculously small for the two of them. Its sad. Whenever we go to the Sonic for lunch, we take him along. It's a big thrill for him to be able to get out a little.

Clearly there is something wrong with the way FEMA distributed the money.