14 Charged With FEMA Fraud

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - Fourteen people have been indicted on
federal charges of fraud related to Hurricane Katrina.
Federal prosecutors made the indictments public yesterday
(Thursday).
The indictment alleges the defendants defrauded the Federal Emergency Management Agencyby making false statements or
submitting false claims for disaster assistance money.
Prosecutors says each of the 14 suspects was serving time in
prisons at the time of the storm in August 2005.
The charges range from making false claims to FEMA to mail
fraud.
The defendants are:
- Lance Tovsland of Saucier. He has been accused of submitting a
false claim and receiving funds from FEMA for property in Gulfport
that was not his primary residence.
- Phyllis Miller of Gulfport. She is accused of submitting a
false claim and receiving funds from FEMA for property in Gulfport
that was not her primary residence.
- Merlin Winters of Gulfport. He is accused of submitting a
false claim and receiving funds from FEMA for property in Gulfport
that was not his primary residence. He also is accused of
submitting a false application to the Small Business Administration
for a Disaster Home Loan. - Brian Carr of Biloxi. He is accused of submitting a false
claim and receiving funds from FEMA for property in Biloxi that was
not his primary residence. He also is accused of submitting a false
application to the SBA for a Disaster Home Loan.
- Jacob Henley of Biloxi. He is accused of submitting a false
claim and receiving funds from FEMA for property in Biloxi that was
not his primary residence.
- Kevin Sherrod of Moss Point. He is accused of submitting a
false claim to FEMA and receiving funds for property in Pascagoula
that was not his primary residence.
- Charles Necase of Saucier. He is accused of submitting a false
claim and receiving funds from FEMA for property in Saucier that
was not his primary residence.
- Charles Jones of Gulfport. He is accused of submitting a false
claim and receiving funds from FEMA for property in Biloxi that was
not his primary residence.
- James Arnold of Gulfport. He is accused of submitting a false
claim and receiving funds from FEMA for property in Gulfport that
was not his primary residence. He also is accused of submitting a
false application to the SBA for a Disaster Home Loan and for a
Disaster Business Loan.
- Joseph Strickland of Hattiesburg. He is accused of submitting
a false claim and receiving funds from FEMA for property in
Hattiesburg that was not his primary residence.
- Douglas Horton, also known as Douglas Harton, of Hattiesburg.
He is accused of submitting a false claim and receiving funds from
FEMA for property in Hattiesburg that was not his primary
residence.
- Alex Woods of Biloxi. He is accused of submitting a false
claim and receiving funds from FEMA for property in Biloxi that was
not his primary residence.
- Curtis Cooper of Gulfport. He is accused of submitting a false
claim and receiving funds from FEMA for property in Gulfport that
was not his primary residence.
- Anthony Kozlowski Jr. of Gautier. He is accused of submitting
a false claim and receiving funds from FEMA for property in
Hattiesburg that was not his primary residence.