HAMMOND WOMAN SENTENCED FOR DEFRAUDING AMERICAN RED CROSS
LESHEA HANIBLE, age 34, a resident of Hammond, Louisiana, was sentenced in federal court today before U.S. District Judge Ivan L. R. Lemelle to three years probation after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud relating to fraudulent applications for financial assistance that she submitted to the American Red Cross after Hurricane Katrina, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten. In addition, HANIBLE has been ordered to pay $5,960 in restitution to the Red Cross.
According to court documents, HANIBLE applied for and received disaster assistance funds from the American Red Cross five times. The 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. HANIBLE repeatedly applied for these funds throughout the early fall of 2005, indicating that she had not yet received any money at all from the Red Cross. In all, HANIBLE fraudulently obtained $5,960 from the American Red Cross.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Julia K. Evans.
