Louisville Man Sentenced for Katrina Fraud

GULFPORT, MS—Kendrick T. Combest, 40, of Louisville, Mississippi, was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Louis G. Guirola to three years of probation, an additional 50 hours of community service, and repayment of the $5,422.98 he stole from Federal Emergency Management Agency, all for filing a false claim for assistance from the FEMA following Hurricane Katrina, U.S. Attorney Donald R. Burkhalter announced. Combest admitted to filing a false claim on a house in Gautier, MS, in which another family lived at the time of Hurricane Katrina, receiving $5,422.98 in housing and other benefits as a result of the false claim.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General.

In September, 2005, former Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales created the national 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 for the Criminal Division, Lanny A. Breuer, includes members from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the Postal Inspector’s Office, and the Executive Office of United States Attorneys, among others.

Pursuant to the Justice Department initiative, a local Katrina Fraud Task Force, consisting of over 20 federal and state law enforcement agencies, was formed in the Southern District of Mississippi to pursue and prosecute individuals who engage in fraud associated with the hurricanes.

If anyone has information concerning possible fraud being committed during the post- Katrina recovery effort, please call either the DHS-OIG Fraud Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or the FBI Fraud Hotline at 1-800-225-5324.