Hammond woman sentenced for charges related to defrauding the American Red Cross
TAMARA MORRIS, age 30, a resident of Hammond, Louisiana, was sentenced in federal court today before U. S. District Judge Stanwood R. Duval, Jr. to a three (3) year probation term, full restitution in the amount of $6,260 to the American Red Cross and forfeiture of any and all assets connected with the crime, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.
According to court documents, the American Red Cross made disaster assistance money, of up to $1,565 per person, available to those affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 on a one-time only basis. The defendant admitted that on eight separate occasions between September 2005 and December 2005, she applied for and received disaster assistance funds from the American Red Cross, each time representing she had not received assistance in the past. Based on these fraudulent applications, the defendant obtained over $6,000 from the American Red Cross to which she was not entitled.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Marvin Opotowsky, Disaster Fraud Coordinator.
