Quiana Riggins and Lesley Johnson have been ordered by the U.S. District Court in Miami to repay the Federal Emergency Management Agency for funds they received after filing false hurricane damage claims.
Riggins and Johnson, the first two Miami-Dade County residents out of 14 indicted in March on federal fraud charges, pleaded guilty to cheating the federal government by filing false hurricane damage claims.
After Hurricane Frances hit 100 miles north of Miami, Riggs collected almost $25,000 for a sewer backup that according to court records occurred weeks before the storm. According to the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, U.S. District Court Judge K. Michael Moore sentenced her to two months’ house arrest and three years’ probation, along with the repayment.
U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck ordered Johnson, of Homestead, to repay $6,203 and ordered her to four years’ probation and 400 hours of community service a year.
Last month, investigations by a U.S. Senate committee and the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security found that FEMA inappropriately declared Miami-Dade County a disaster area and then awarded $31 million to 13,000 residents, often without verifying storm damage or a need for assistance.
Topics USA Legislation FEMA
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Florida Jury Returns $779M Verdict for Family of Security Guard Killed at Gambling Cafe 
Death of Teenager on Carnival Cruise Ship Ruled a Homicide 
In Alabama, Shot Employee Gets No Workers’ Comp and No Employer’s Liability 
Baldwin Group to Buy CAC Group for About $1B in Cash and Stock From This Issue
