[StBernard] SLIDELL WOMAN INDICTED FOR DEFRAUDING AMERICAN RED CROSS

Westley Annis westley at da-parish.com
Fri Nov 23 11:03:27 EST 2007


SLIDELL WOMAN INDICTED FOR DEFRAUDING AMERICAN RED CROSS

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA -RENADA THORNTON, age 27, a resident of Slidell, LA,
was indicted today by a federal grand jury on six counts of wire fraud and
one count of mail fraud relating to a series of fraudulent applications for
financial assistance that she submitted to the American Red Cross between
September, 2005 and December, 2005, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.

According to court documents, RENADA THORNTON, applied for and received
disaster
assistance funds from the Red Cross 14 times during a roughly two month
period. The Red Cross made disaster assistance money of up to $1565
available to those affected by the hurricanes of 2005 on a one-time only
basis. THORNTON allegedly repeatedly applied for these funds throughout the
early fall of 2005, each time indicating that she had not yet received any
money at all from the Red Cross. In all, THORNTON is charged with
fraudulently obtaining over $18,000 from the American Red Cross. According
to documents filed today by the United States Attorney, THORNTON
successfully executed the scheme at Red Cross facilities in throughout
Louisiana,
Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.

If convicted, THORNTON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and
is subject to a fine of up to $250,000 for each count in the indictment.

The United States Attorney cautions that an indictment is only an allegation
and is not proof beyond a reasonable doubt. THORNTON is presumed innocent
until proven guilty.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the
United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Dan Friel.







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