Press Releases
RESERVE WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO DEFRAUDING AMERICAN RED CROSS
April 17, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BARBARA STEWART, age 46, a resident of Reserve, LA, pled guilty yesterday in a one count Bill of Information for Wire Fraud relating to a series of fraudulent applications for financial assistance that she submitted to the American Red Cross between September 15, 2005 and October 4, 2005, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.
According to court documents, BARBARA STEWART, applied for and received disaster assistance funds from the Red Cross 8 times between September 15, 2005 and October 4, 2005. The Red Cross made disaster assistance money of up to $1565 available to those affected by the hurricanes of 2005 on a one-time only basis. STEWART repeatedly applied for these funds throughout the early fall of 2005, each time indicating that she had not yet received any money at all from the Red Cross. In all, STEWART fraudulently obtained $12,520 from the American Red Cross.
Upon sentencing, which is scheduled for July 9, 2008, BARBARA STEWART faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years and is subject to a fine of up to $250,000.
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 is being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Dan Friel.
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