Posted on 09/13/2005 4:55:42 AM PDT by jpthomas
MEMPHIS (AP) — A Memphis woman has been charged with forgery and attempted theft after trying to collect more than $1,500 in Hurricane Katrina relief money, police say.
Emma Hill, 31, told a worker at an American Red Cross hurricane relief center in Memphis Friday that she lived in Gulfport, Miss., and had lost everything in the hurricane, according to the charges.
However, when she returned Saturday to pick up a $1,565 check, Hill gave an address in Mississippi that was different from the first one she gave workers. Suspicious workers then called over a Memphis police officer stationed at the center.
Police say they discovered Hill had an outstanding warrant on charges of passing bad checks. And they found she had a Tennessee driver's license with a Memphis address and that she paid the utility bills at that address.
Hill also had with her a dated Western Union receipt for money she sent from a Memphis office on Aug. 28.
Police believe Hill may be the first person charged in Memphis with posing as a hurricane victim.
Evacuees staying in the city have become frequent crime targets. It appears some criminals have been out looking for Louisiana license plates and many victims have had their vehicles taken, along with thousands of dollars in cash and valuables, say police, who report at least 56 evacuees have been targeted by criminals.
Sunday police said they were questioning two men with questionable identifications, who turned up at another Red Cross hurricane relief center in the city.
"We will prosecute to the fullest ... we are not going to mess around," said Mid-South Red Cross CEO William Hildebrandt. "We will make sure every donated dollar goes where it's supposed to go."
IMHO this is just as bad as looting.
What about the homeless of LA how are they proving they lived there?
" The Memphis DA has stated that there will be no plea deals offered to anyone charged with a crime perpetrated on an evacuee."
Good for him
Probably hundreds just like her.
Whoops. If you are gonna lie, you better be good at it...
Worse, perhaps.
Worse, perhaps.
"And they found she had a Tennessee driver's license with a Memphis address"
A life long Al Gore supporter?
The same Red Cross that redecorated their offices after their 911 windfall?
She had to be THIS stupid to get caught.
Imagine how many are getting away with it.
Does anyone think this is the only example?
This is just the stupidest of them. I will lay odds 3 out of 10 will be running the same scam. It is so easy, a Democrat could do it.
So how much money does a homeless person need? Not like they have bills to pay. Although the ones around here always seem to have enough for cigerettes, malt liquor and crack.
They have to provide the the correct follow-up to the phrase "I bet I can tell you where you got 'dem shoes."
They all ready announced that they were just going to a web site that list the white pages of the phone book and if the name you are using matches, your in the money!
Why are they just handing out money without some proof of identification?
"IMHO this is just as bad as looting."
Well, she probably needs the money to survive. You guys might be too quick to judge her.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.