The 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill was a devastating event for the Gulf Coast economy, culture, and environment. While BP has come to a settlement with many plaintiffs and the government regarding their negligence, you may still have a claim based on injuries incurred during subsequent the cleanup of the spill.

However blameworthy BP is for the acts that led to this disaster, that is no excuse for the despicable individuals who attempted to falsely benefit from the $20.8 billion dollar settlement by filing false claims. Recent articles in the Financial Times and Petronews highlight that the government has successfully prosecuted over 300 people for defrauding the BP Gulf Coast Claims Facility, with over 100 of those convicted receiving sentences involving incarceration. Not only are these individuals criminally blameworthy for their attempts at fraud, they also reduced the amount due to legitimate claimants and injected the claim process with an unnecessary and unhelpful degree of distrust.

Four cases, in particular, were highlighted by the Financial Times:

Thi Houng Le, 34 from Pascagoula, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

Gregory P. Warren, 52, was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

Caridad Rioseco Alejandrez, was ordered to pay over $600,000 for her role in filing false Deepwater Horizon claims. Alejandrez, 51, previously pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud in connection to the case and was sentenced to four years in prison and three years of supervised release

Some of the fraud convictions have even involved people who worked to administering the claims funds. In June 2015, a claims adjuster for the Gulf Coast Claims Facility in Louisiana pleaded guilty to a wire fraud charge in connection with an attempt to defraud the fund. Charlie English III pleaded guilty to a wire fraud charge tied to false documentation he submitted to support a claim that his income was impacted by the spill. The fraudulent claim allowed English to obtain $257,400 from the fund.

If you have had an experienced legitimate physical or economic injury as a result of the Gulf oil spill or its cleanup, you may be a legitimate plaintiff in this case. BP placed Gulf residents in physical danger and made promises that they did not keep—there may be claims for negligence or violations of a contract. If you have suffered these injuries, whether physical, mental, emotional, or financial, you may be entitled to be made whole.  However, recent convictions of hundreds of residents caught seeking to reap an illegitimate financial windfall show that the government is taking false claims seriously.

If you were harmed by the BP Gulf Oil Spill, important deadlines, statutes of limitations, and filing requirements make consulting with an experienced plaintiffs’ attorney with BP oil spill experience a vital step to protecting yourself, your livelihood, and your rights. While this article discusses the ramifications of filing a false claim, many legitimate claims are still unaddressed.

Contact Mississippi personal injury attorney Jonathan Barrett at Barrett Law immediately to protect your rights at (601)-790-1505.

Call attorney Barrett to set up a free initial consultation. The claims you may have based on your participation in the BP oil spill response or cleanup are not simple, and you should not trust them to an attorney lacking the plaintiffs’ law and BP oil spill experience attorney Barrett possess. Call now to protect your livelihood and life.