HAMMOND WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO DEFRAUDING AMERICAN RED CROSS
MECHELLE TURNER, age 30, a resident of Hammond, Louisiana, pled guilty in federal court today before U. S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance to one count of wire fraud relating to fraudulent applications for financial assistance that she submitted to the American Red Cross between September 2005 and October 2005, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.
According to court documents, TURNER applied for and received disaster assistance funds from the American Red Cross on approximately ten (10) occasions. 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. TURNER 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, TURNER was provided $12,170 from the American Red Cross, of which approximately $10,965 was fraudulently obtained.
TURNER faces a possible maximum sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment, a $250,0000 fine, restitution to the American Red Cross, and three (3) years of supervised release following imprisonment. Sentencing has been scheduled for April 7, 2010.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U. S. Attorney Peter M. Thomson.
)
