United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

1100 Commerce St., 3rd Fl.
Dallas, Texas 75242-1699

Telephone (214) 659-8600
Fax (214) 767-0978

RINGLEADER IN FEMA FRAUD SCHEME
PLEADS GUILTY IN FEDERAL COURT

Nine Co-Defendants Also Admit Role in Scheme

A Dallas woman who ran a scheme that defrauded the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of more than $80,000.00, pled guilty today in federal court, announced United States Attorney Richard B. Roper. Lakietha Diann Hall, 35, of Dallas, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit theft of federal public funds and one count of aggravated identity theft. In a related case, Hall pled guilty to count one of an indictment that charged her with failure to appear. Lakietha Hall faces a maximum statutory sentence of 12 years imprisonment, a $750,000 fine and restitution. She is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2006, by the Honorable David C. Godbey, United States District Judge.

According to documents filed in Court, Lakietha Diann Hall admitted that from August 2005 through December 21, 2005, she conspired with co-defendants, many of whom are related, Carolyn Lynn Evans, Carl Lynn Green, Glen Alfred Jones, Emma Theresa Hall, Milton Evans, Reginald Derrell Hall, Gracie Mae Green, Timmy Green and Linda C. Green to commit the crime of theft of public money. They submitted fraudulent claims for disaster assistance and disaster unemployment assistance, falsely representing that their primary residences were located in declared disaster areas and had been damaged by Hurricane Katrina and/or that they became unemployed because of Hurricane Katrina. Lakietha Hall submitted several fraudulent on-line applications to FEMA for disaster assistance on behalf of and with the knowledge of several of her co-defendants. All of Lakietha Diann Hall’s co-defendants have either pled guilty or are scheduled to plead guilty to their role in the scheme.

In one instance, on September 14, 2005, Lakietha Hall submitted a fraudulent on-line application to FEMA for disaster assistance under "ERH's" name and social security number, falsely representing that "ERH's" primary residence was in Slidell, Louisiana and that it had been damaged by Hurricane Katrina. "ERH" didn’t authorized Lakietha Hall to use her identification, and Hall provided FEMA her own mailing address on Jadewood Drive in Dallas to receive the disaster assistance money. Based on the application, FEMA sent Lakietha Hall a check for $2000.00 which she gave to her mother, defendant Emma Theresa Hall, who cashed the check and used the funds for her own personal use.

In another instance, in November 2005, Lakietha Hall submitted a fraudulent on-line application to the Louisiana Department of Labor (LDOL) for Hurricane Katrina disaster unemployment assistance in the name of “E Hall” using "ERH's" social security number. In the application Lakietha Hall falsely represented that “E Hall” became unemployed from Eastgate Church as a result of the hurricane. Lakietha Hall, knowing that she did not have authority to use "ERH's" means of identification, provided LDOL with her own mailing address on Jadewood Drive in Dallas to receive the disaster assistance funds. LDOL issued a Chase debit card in the name of “E Hall” and Lakietha Hall gave this debit card to her mother, defendant Emma Theresa Hall, who withdrew money from this debit card and used it for her own personal benefit.

Regarding the failure to appear conviction, on December 21, 2006, a Special Agent with the Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General arrested Lakietha Hall on a criminal complaint charging her with theft of federal public funds. She appeared before a United States Magistrate Judge who released her on her own recognizance. Lakietha Hall was subsequently charged in a criminal indictment and ordered to appear on January 30, 2006 for arraignment on those charges. She purposely failed to appear for this arraignment and an arrest warrant was issued. She was arrested on March 9, 2006, following a tip from a concerned citizen to the U.S. Postal Inspection service.

In September 2005, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales created the Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force, designed to deter, investigate and prosecute disaster-related federal crimes such as charity fraud, identity theft, procurement fraud and insurance fraud. The Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force --- chaired by Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division --- includes members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Postal Inspector’s Office, and the Executive Office of the United States Attorneys, among others.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts in this case of the Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General and the Louisiana Department of Labor. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tammy Reno.

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