Katrina task force charges 907 in 3 years

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- More than 900 people across the United States have been charged with fraud by the Hurricane Katrina task force, the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday.

The Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force chief, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the department's Criminal Division, reported about the 907 disaster-related fraud charges as part of the task force's accomplishments during its three years of operation.

"Whenever a natural disaster strikes, there will always be unscrupulous people willing to take advantage of victim assistance and rebuilding efforts," Friedrich said Wednesday in a statement. "Those who would try to profit from the misfortunes of disaster victims should know that the Department of Justice, federal investigative agencies and inspectors general will continue their aggressive pursuit of disaster fraud."

The task force was established in September 2005 during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It was charged with discouraging, investigating and prosecuting people trying to take advantage of the disasters related to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav and Ike, and other natural disasters, the department said.

During 2007-2008, federal attorneys prosecuted hurricane-related cases involving a range of crimes including emergency-benefit fraud, identity theft, procurement fraud and public corruption.