Recently, 25 residents of the Jacksonville area in Florida were indicted in a scheme to defraud the compensation fund set up following the 2010 BP oil spill. The indictments came down on Tuesday, November 25, 2014. Twenty six indictments charge a single count of mail fraud, while the other indictment charges a 33 year old Jacksonville resident with five counts of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictments, 27 men and women stated they were employees of businesses impacted by the oil spill that occurred after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico, located off the state of Louisiana. These individuals filed lost income claims through the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, which was established to review and pay those who qualify for compensation.
The defendants allegedly sent documents in support of their fraudulent claims and then received funds. The 33 year old defendant with multiple charges additionally used other people’s identification to submit multiple claims.
The case seeks over $1 million in financial judgments, ranging from $11,925 to $157,255, depending upon the extent of each defendant’s fraud. Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in a federal prison, with the 33 year old from Jacksonville facing an additional mandatory two years sentence for mail fraud.
The indictment of these 27 individuals is said to be an example of how the Secret Service continues to identify and combat fraud. Using state of the art investigative techniques, the Secret Service was able to identify this massive crime ring and work to get these individuals charged.
In other BP oil spill news, a recent audit conducted by a third party revealed that the settlement program lead by claims administrator Patrick Juneau correctly processed 99.5 percent of all claims. The audit concluded that the claims program is appropriate and well designed, with no needed improvements.
This audit comes at a time when BP is fighting to remove Patrick Juneau from his position as claim’s administrator. BP has stated that the program is riddled with errors and fraud. BP moved the federal judge in New Orleans to remove Juneau from the position due to a conflict of interest. The judge denied this request, and BP plans to appeal the decision. Juneau stated that the audit reinforces that the settlement program is running correctly.
In other news, the environmental impact of the BP oil spill continues to be explored. A new study claims that the oil spill left a bath tub ring around the sea’s floor about the size of Rhode Island, the true effects of which remain to be seen.
Barrett Law PLLC: BP Oil Spill Lawyers Dedicated to the Ongoing Efforts to Ensure Oil Spill Victims Have Been Fully Compensated
Now four years after the BP oil spill caste massive amounts of oil into the Gulf, the event continues to generate headline news. For some individuals, allegedly falsifying claims may cost them greatly. For other individuals and businesses, legitimate claims continue to go unpaid. The Mississippi BP Oil Spill Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC have not forgotten about the devastating BP oil spill. We recognize that some individuals and businesses in Mississippi and across the southeast are still awaiting their fair compensation. At Barrett Law PLLC, we will fight to see that you recover for your losses, whether they be economic or in the form of personal injuries, stemming from the spill. For more information on how we might be able to assist in your claim, call Barrett Law PLLC today at 1 (601) 790-1505 to schedule your free consultation.
