February 17, 2011 Federal authorities arrest three people in BP scam www.privateofficer.com
MOBILE, Alabama Feb 17 2011 – Federal officials have arrested three people in our area for filing false claims related to the BP oil spill.
Two cases are from Baldwin County, and another from Mobile County.
But, you might be surprised at the punishment they’re facing.
One of the accused people submitted a claim for more than $36,000, and was actually paid more than $9,000.
Federal officials said he never worked as a deckhand in Bayou la Batre, as he claimed.
Authorities said another person got almost $3,000 after presenting a forged layoff notice.
But, in all three cases, prosecutors said those accused should receive no jail time.
They want to place them in a diversion program which allows them to avoid a criminal record, if they stay out of trouble and do what they’re told.
Bayou La Batre Mayor Stan Wright thinks there should be harsher penalties.
When asked if he thought people like those get off too easily, Wright said, “Well, sure they do. They should be put in prison. They should be. Bottom line: i you defraud anybody by lying to them, you should be prosecuted.”
Wright said there are too many people who should legitimately get money.
He said, “All this is doing is making it complicated for the people that were directly affected by the oil spill to get their claim.”
News Five also talked to people in Bayou La Batre about what they thought the punishment should be.
Betty Vazquez said, “Maybe, go to jail.”
Janice Clemons said she thought they ought to go to jail, too.
She said, “The people that really need it, that deserve to get it, can’t get it. (The) same thing happened with the hurricane. We couldn’t get our houses fixed because people that didn’t get damage got waited on.”
But Mayor Wright said BP also need to do a better job fighting fraud.
Wright said, “I think BP is just as guilty as what that person is. They should check the background of this person. They should collect data that proved that they did work on a shrimp boat. You can produce a 1099, or a sheriff’s slip.”
A federal judge has officially put the criminal charges against the three on hold.
Two cases are from Baldwin County, and another from Mobile County.
But, you might be surprised at the punishment they’re facing.
One of the accused people submitted a claim for more than $36,000, and was actually paid more than $9,000.
Federal officials said he never worked as a deckhand in Bayou la Batre, as he claimed.
Authorities said another person got almost $3,000 after presenting a forged layoff notice.
But, in all three cases, prosecutors said those accused should receive no jail time.
They want to place them in a diversion program which allows them to avoid a criminal record, if they stay out of trouble and do what they’re told.
Bayou La Batre Mayor Stan Wright thinks there should be harsher penalties.
When asked if he thought people like those get off too easily, Wright said, “Well, sure they do. They should be put in prison. They should be. Bottom line: i you defraud anybody by lying to them, you should be prosecuted.”
Wright said there are too many people who should legitimately get money.
He said, “All this is doing is making it complicated for the people that were directly affected by the oil spill to get their claim.”
News Five also talked to people in Bayou La Batre about what they thought the punishment should be.
Betty Vazquez said, “Maybe, go to jail.”
Janice Clemons said she thought they ought to go to jail, too.
She said, “The people that really need it, that deserve to get it, can’t get it. (The) same thing happened with the hurricane. We couldn’t get our houses fixed because people that didn’t get damage got waited on.”
But Mayor Wright said BP also need to do a better job fighting fraud.
Wright said, “I think BP is just as guilty as what that person is. They should check the background of this person. They should collect data that proved that they did work on a shrimp boat. You can produce a 1099, or a sheriff’s slip.”
A federal judge has officially put the criminal charges against the three on hold.
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