Mississippi Gulf Coast residents, Vincent Pempeit and Sandy Barron, pleaded guilty today to fraudulently seeking disaster assistance following Hurricane Katrina. By falsely claiming he lived in a particular home, Pempeit received $9,558 from FEMA and was approved by the Mississippi Development Authority for a $60,449 grant. Barron received $15,184 from FEMA after claiming hurricane damage to a former residence.
Pempeit and Barron are set to be sentenced on October 9, 2007 and face potential penalties of anywhere from 30 to 100 years in prison, as well as fines ranging from $500,000 to $5 million.
Source: http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070710/NEWS/70710038
