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Latest Legal News from the Criminal Courts in Houston, Texas
June 4, 2007
HOUSTON RESIDENT SENTENCED TO IN PRISON FOR FILING MULTIPLE FRAUDULENT CLAIMS WITH FEMA
Thirteenth defendant sentenced to prison in the Southern District for FEMA fraud
(HOUSTON, TX) - Curtis Caldwell, 29, of Houston, was sentenced to 2 years in federal prison, without parole, for mail fraud in connection with his filing of multiple fraudulent FEMA claims for Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita benefits, United States Attorney Don DeGabrielle announced today.
At a hearing this afternoon, Judge Sim Lake sentenced Caldwell to the 24 month prison term to be followed by a three year term of supervised release. Caldwell has also been ordered to pay $28,000 in restitution to FEMA. Immediately following the pronouncement of the sentence, Judge Lake ordered Caldwell into federal custody to begin serving his sentence. Caldwell had been out on bond.
Caldwell was held accountable for 39 fraudulent claims filed by Caldwell and his roommate, Ernest Tutt. Tutt has also been convicted of mail fraud and faces a June 26 sentencing date. Caldwell filed 22 of the claims using his own first and last name and simply changing the middle initial. After using his Social Security number in the first claim he filed, he started using Social Security numbers belonging to others in an attempt to avoid detection of the multiple claims. The claims Caldwell filed listed damaged primary residences in New Orleans (for the Katrina claims) and Lake Charles (for the Rita claims). In response to these 22 claims, FEMA mailed Caldwell fourteen separate $2,000 expedited assistance checks based on claims that Caldwell was suffering emergency needs for food, clothing, and shelter. Visits to the addresses listed on the claims by FEMA contract inspectors revealed that some of the addresses did not exist and, for those that did exist, that Caldwell had never resided there. Evidence showed that in fact Caldwell was living in Houston throughout 2005 when Katrina and Rita struck.
A total of 49 individuals has been charged in the Southern District of Texas with fraud relating to Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita. Thirteen of the 22 defendants sentenced thus far have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, and the General Accounting Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregg Costa
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