[StBernard] Bogalusa Woman Pleads Guilty to Defrauding American Red Cross

[Westley Annis]

BOGALUSA WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO DEFRAUDING AMERICAN RED CROSS
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA -REBECCA PHILLIPS, 70, a resident of Bogalusa,
Louisiana, pled guilty today to a one count bill of information for wire
fraud relating to a series of fraudulent applications for financial
assistance that she submitted to the American Red Cross between September,
2005 and October, 2005, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten. 

According to court documents, REBECCA PHILLIPS, applied for and received
disaster assistance funds from the Red Cross 4 times during a two week
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. PHILLIPS admitted today that she intentionally violated this policy
by continuing to apply 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. 

PHILIPS admitted to fraudulently obtaining $3,795 from the American Red
Cross. According to documents filed today by the United States Attorney,
PHILLIPS successfully executed the scheme at Red Cross facilities in
Louisiana and Mississippi. PHILLIP's daughter in law, MAJORIE JORDAN, 35,
pled guilty to similar charges in October 2007. 

PHILLIPS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years and is
subject to a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for May 14,
2008, 

The investigated was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and
the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Dan Friel.