Gibson Woman Pleads Guilty to Defrauding American Red Cross

SANDRA D. WILLIAMS, age 45, a resident of Gibson, LA, pled guilty in federal court today before U.S. District Judge Stanwood R. Duval, Jr. to one count of mail fraud relating to fraudulent applications for financial assistance she submitted to the American Red Cross between September 2005 and October 2005, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten.

According to court documents, the Red Cross made disaster assistance money of up to $1,565 available to those affected by the hurricanes of 2005 on a one-time only basis. WILLIAMS admitted that on 12 occasions during the fall of 2005, she applied for and received disaster assistance funds from the American Red Cross. In each application, she indicated she had not yet received any money from the Red Cross. In all, WILLIAMS fraudulently obtained $9,390 from the American Red Cross.

WILLIAMS faces a possible maximum sentence of twenty (20) years' imprisonment, a $250,0000 fine, three (3) years supervised release, and restitution to the American Red Cross. Sentencing has been scheduled for April 28, 2010.

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