Man gets prison for FEMA fraud after Hurricane Katrina

By Angel K. Brooks

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A man who had already moved to Georgia from New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina struck the city but fraudulently collected funds intended for victims of the 2005 storm was sentenced to prison Thursday, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced.

Dean G. Summers, 40, stole more than $24,000 by falsely claiming to be a Katrina victim and obtaining FEMA disaster assistance funds, authorities said.

He was sentenced to 2 years 2 months in federal prison plus five years of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay nearly $25,000 in restitution.

“FEMA fraud steals money from disaster victims who have suffered devastation and tragedy," U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said in the news release.

According to the information presented in court, Summers filed an application with FEMA for assistance in September 2005, saying he had been displaced by the hurricane and had relocated to an apartment in College Park.

Authorities said the man actually had moved to Georgia before the hurricane.

He submitted a fake lease and forged rental receipts, and obtained a Louisiana identification card to show to FEMA when questioned about his claim, authorities said. He perpetuated the story and kept submitting fake paperwork through August 2009.

Summers pleaded guilty in the case last Nov. 8.