By Stephen Hemelt
L’Observateur

NEW ORLEANS — A LaPlace man faces five years in prison for his part in a quarter-million dollar fraud scheme perpetrated in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Charlie English, 33, of LaPlace pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to fraudulent applications he made or caused to be made to the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) for financial assistance during the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite said court documents indicated GCCF made disaster assistance money available to individuals and businesses impacted by the oil spill.

The GCCF required individuals to verify loss of income, and English worked as a claims adjuster for the GCCF.

“Beginning in or about September 2010, English provided fraudulent documentation to his coconspirators, who posed as claimants, and submitted and/or caused to be submitted, via the Internet, false claims for loss earnings representing that the claimants were employed in a commercial fishing business before the oil spill when in fact the claimants did not work in the commercial fishing industry,” Polite said.

“English was to share in the claim proceeds in exchange for his assistance with the claims. Based on the fraudulent documentation, the GCCF issued approximately $257,400 to undeserving individuals.” 

English faces a maximum imprisonment term of five years, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge Helen G. Berrigan scheduled sentencing for March 11.

Polite said the case was part of a partnership with the National Center for Disaster Fraud, a nationwide initiative to protect available funds and assistance for those victims of natural and man-made disasters such as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and the recent Gulf oil spill.

He praised the work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Secret Service in investigating this matter.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia K. Evans was in charge of the prosecution.