Man Pleads Guilty In Hurricane Katrina Fraud Charge 

BATON ROUGE - Dedrick M. Jackson, 22, of Baton Rouge, La,, pled guilty today before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Ralph E. Tyson to count one of an indictment charging Jackson with making a false and fraudulent claim for disaster relief benefits, United States Attorney David R. Dugas of the Middle District of Louisiana announced today.

As a result of this guilty plea to count one of the indictment, Jackson faces a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both. As part of the plea agreement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will dismiss count two of the indictment when Jackson is sentenced on count one.

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 FBI, the Federal Trade Commission, the Postal Inspector’s Office, and the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, among others. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General.

The total number of defendants who have been charged in the Middle District of Louisiana with violations related to Hurricane Katrina relief funds stands at 59.

For further information, contact David R. Dugas, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana, or Lyman Thornton, First Assistant U.S. Attorney, at (225) 389-0443.