Chalmette Woman Sentenced in Connection with Oklahoma Tornado Disaster Fraud

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that TIFFANY RICHARDSON, age 30, of Chalmette, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan to prison for one (1) month followed by home confinement for seven (7) months in connection with her plea of guilty to one count of disaster relief fraud.

According to the court records, RICHARDSON applied for disaster assistance from the Small Business Administration following tornadoes that struck Oklahoma in 2013. She falsely claimed that she had a primary residence in an affected area of Oklahoma, when in fact, RICHARDSON lived in Chalmette, which is within the Eastern District of Louisiana. As a result, RICHARDSON fraudulently received disaster relief benefits from the Small Business Administration.

In addition to incarceration, RICHARDSON was sentenced to two (2) years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $20,900 payable to the victim, the Small Business Administration. 

U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Homeland Security for their investigation of the matter.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera was in charge of the prosecution.

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