Metairie Woman Sentenced for Defrauding FEMA

RHONDA WILLIAMS, age 44, a resident of Metairie, LA, was sentenced in federal court today before U.S. District Judge Stanwood R. Duval, Jr. to five years’ probation after pleading guilty to one count of false statements to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten. Judge Duval also ordered WILLIAMS to pay $18,223.51 in restitution to FEMA.

According to court documents, WILLIAMS applied for and received disaster assistance funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency following Hurricane Katrina. WILLIAMS falsely stated in her application that, at the time of the alleged losses, she lived in a first floor apartment in Metairie, Louisiana which sustained hurricane and flood damages. However, the apartment where WILLIAMS claimed to have lived was actually on the second floor and received no hurricane or flood damage. WILLIAMS fraudulently obtained $18,223.51 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Based on an agreement between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, where WILLIAMS was originally indicted, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, the defendant was allowed to plead guilty in New Orleans.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharan E. Lieberman.