United States Attorney Leura G. Canary Middle District of Alabama

MONTGOMERY WOMAN INDICTED FOR HURRICANES IVAN AND KATRINA FRAUD

Woman Charged with Stealing Government Money and Aggravated Identity Theft

MONTGOMERY, Ala.— United States Attorney Leura G. Canary announced today that a Montgomery woman, Latisha D. Holt, age 26, was indicted on one count of theft of Hurricane Ivan disaster assistance funds, two counts of aiding and abetting theft of Hurricane Katrina funds, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

The indictment charges that Holt filed a false claim for Hurricane Ivan in her own name and then illegally cashed and converted one $1,705.09 FEMA disaster relief assistance check to which she was not entitled. The indictment also charges that Holt assisted another person in filing a false claim for Hurricane Katrina disaster relief in the name of that other person. According to the indictment, that person then received, illegally cashed, and converted two FEMA disaster relief assistance checks, totalling $4,955.88. The indictment further charges that Holt, while assisting the other person in filing the false Hurricane Katrina claim, illegally used a social security number of a third person.

Holt turned herself into authorities today and was released on bond. Holt’s trial is set for January 14, 2008, before Chief United States District Judge Mark Fuller. If convicted of all charges, Holt could face up to ten years in federal prison.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama is a member of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force, created by Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales in September 2005 to deter, detect, investigate and prosecute disaster-related federal crimes. The Task Force, chaired by Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of DOJ’s Criminal Division, is comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and United States Attorneys’ Offices from the Gulf Coast region and nationwide.

Thus far, the Middle District of Alabama has charged a total of 33 Hurricane Katrina and Rita fraud-related cases involving 30 different defendants.

This matter was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, and the United States Secret Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jerusha T. Adams.

If anyone has information concerning possible fraud being committed during the post-Katrina recovery effort, please call either the Department of Homeland Security Office or the Inspector General Fraud Hotline at 1-866-720-5721.


Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government's burden to prove a defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.