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."
I wonder if the elected criminals of NO and LA who are even now plotting on how to divert some of the federal aid will be prosecuted, too.
How is a crime perpetrated on a hurrcane victim worse than a crime perpetrated on any other citizen. I wonder why the sudden change in prosecution practices.......Could be a great vote getter, I suppose.
RE: Tag Line - Corinth here! 25 years. A great place to be from........if you're not still there!
The entire Ford Family is corrupt and he had the audacity to make accusations that the Bush Administration was criminal in it's actions. He is bad news a racebaiter,gun taker,liberal extreme and a adulterer;can't wait till ex wife pens that tell all book.He speaks softly,never angry to fool voters, he is a perfect example of the black elite, I wonder how many of these poor people he took in.
Memphis is alot like N.O. Same kind of culture and crime ridden, lots of welfare, etc.
Of course, she is the only one, and I'm glad they caught her. No one else would attempt this scam.
/sarcasm
right now NO has a population of 25 million....they will tell you they live there..just ask them..."give me da money man"
"Why are they just handing out money without some proof of identification?"
What was once called a "stealing taxpayer dollars" is now called called "compassionate conservatism." Don't you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?
Recently our Democrat governor in Tennessee kicked a bunch of people off the TennCare roles. In our local paper, there was a cartoon the other day that amused me. It showed Governor Bredesen kicking an old lady out of the TennCare office. Then he was hanging up a sign that said Katrina victims welcome. Thats about it. Usually the paper is slamming Republicans so this cartoon about a Democrat was funny.
For the same reason people are allowed to vote without some proof of identification.
Someone once told me that they were down in New Orleans on a buisness trip with a female associate... they were walking around the Quarter and one of those hustlers came up and tried to bet him $10 using the "I bet I can tell you where you got 'dem shoes" line.
He knew the con, so he replied "Well, my shoes would be too easy to guess. But I'll bet you can't for my wife."
The con artist gave the standard response, "She got her shoes on Bourbon Street in New Orleans," to which the man replied, "No, my wife's shoes are on her feet at our home!"
He didn't pay up....
Very good observation. And as usual the wimpy Republicans refuse to enact legislation that would require I.D. cards. My husband had a good idea that would be foolproof. Give all voters a card that can only be used once to vote and require an I.D. to get your card. And I still think people should have to pass some kind of simple test to prove they know how to vote. This business of people voting for their brain dead Sr. citizen mom or severely mentally retarded adult child should not be allowed.
Georgia did it!
I would say that there is not one single elected official in the United States that would support a voting test. ID cards make sense, but not a voting test.
He's probably so ready to accept the Katrina victims because there is the anticipation of Federal dollars.
Does this mean that, had she given the same address, she would have been handed a check? How do we know that"victims" aren't collecting under multiple names? This looks like institutional thievery.
I agree with your feelings, unfortunately, the Democrat-controlled MSM has brainwashed the masses into believing that the right to vote carries no responsibility. For that matter, being a citizen of the US carries no responsibility.
I used to work down the street from Graceland at a record shop in "Whitehaven" it's not that way anymore by any means.
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.