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Federal charges filed in Katrina-related scam
« on: Sep 19th, 2005, 7:09pm » |
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Federal charges filed in Katrina-related scam
Monday, September 19, 2005; Posted: 9:38 a.m. EDT (13:38 GMT)
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Two people accused of posing as American Red Cross volunteers and taking in as much as $2,000 have been charged in California in the first federal case involving an alleged Hurricane Katrina relief scam, prosecutors said.
Federal law bars anyone from impersonating a Red Cross worker. A conviction can lead to five years in prison.
Tino Lee, 44, of Burbank and Gina Liz Nicholas, 19, of Glendale, California, were charged Friday, the U.S. attorney's office said in a statement. Both were in custody pending a Monday hearing. It wasn't immediately clear if they had attorneys who could comment.
Authorities said the two set up a table with a collection box outside a Best Buy store in Burbank and displayed fliers that read: "Help Now. American Red Cross Relief For Hurricane Katrina."
They had collected as much as $2,000 in cash, as well as a check for $200, before their arrest Thursday night, authorities said. Police took them into custody after determining they lacked the paperwork to prove they represented the relief group. A 14-year-old girl also received a citation to appear in Juvenile Court.
"We have taken a zero-tolerance position against those who would use a national tragedy such as Hurricane Katrina to line their pockets with money intended for victims," U.S. Attorney Debra Wong Yang said.
The Red Cross rarely posts individual volunteers outside stores to raise funds and typically provides a receipt for cash donations, prosecutors said.
The case comes after the U.S. Justice Department formed a task force to investigate and prosecute charity scams, insurance fraud and other disaster-related crimes.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press
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