Slidell Woman Pleads Guilty to Defrauding American Red Cross
| U.S. Attorney’s Office September 23, 2009 |
LEANDRA THORNTON, age 34, a resident of Slidell, Louisiana, pled guilty today before U. S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance to a one-count bill of information for wire fraud relating to fraudulent applications she made to the American Red Cross for financial assistance during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten.
According to court documents, the American Red Cross made disaster assistance money of up to $1,565 available to those affected by the hurricanes of 2005 on a one-time only basis. It is alleged that documents show that on eleven (11) occasions between September 9, 2005 and October 5, 2009, THORNTON applied for and received disaster assistance funds from the Red Cross, each time representing that she had not received assistance in the past. Based on the fraudulent applications, THORNTON obtained $14,085.00 from the American Red Cross that she was not entitled to.
THORNTON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years, a $250,000 fine, and three (3) years supervised release following imprisonment. Sentencing has been scheduled for December 16, 2009.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Spiro Latsis.
