Kevin Richard, Mail Fraud, New Orleans LA, 2010

Kevin Richard, a 26-year-old man from New Orleans, has been sentenced to six months in federal prison for committing mail fraud in the aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Richard pleaded guilty to submitting false claims to the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF), a fund established to compensate victims of the environmental disaster that devastated the Gulf Coast.

U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon handed down the sentence, which includes three years of supervised release and $26,000 in restitution. The judgment follows Richard’s fraudulent submission of a disaster assistance claim in which he falsely claimed to have been employed as a cook for New Orleans Paddlewheels, Inc. at the time of the spill. In reality, he had no such employment.

On November 3, 2010, Richard applied for aid, fabricating documents and work history to qualify. The GCCF, relying on his false statements, issued him a check for $21,000, which he cashed. He later filed a “Quick Payment Final Claim” on January 3, 2011, signing a Release and Covenant Not to Sue to receive an additional $5,000—funds reserved only for those who had previously filed legitimate, verified claims.

The Quick Payment program was designed to expedite relief for real victims, offering $5,000 to individuals and $25,000 to businesses without requiring additional documentation—on the condition that prior claims were valid and paid. Richard met none of these criteria, yet successfully collected both the initial $21,000 and the follow-up $5,000, cashing the second check on January 18, 2011.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Ginsberg and investigated by the United States Secret Service as part of a broader federal crackdown coordinated through the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF). The NCDF, based in Baton Rouge, works to prevent fraud targeting relief funds from disasters both natural and man-made, including hurricanes, floods, and industrial catastrophes like the BP spill.

U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite emphasized the importance of safeguarding disaster relief, stating that funds must reach only those who truly suffered. Anyone with information about fraud in relief programs is urged to contact the NCDF hotline at (866) 720-5721, email disaster@leo.gov, or write to the center at Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4909.

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