Two Men Get Prison for Hurricane Relief Fraud
Two men were sentenced to federal prison Monday after pleading guilty to a scam that bilked the American Red Cross out of thousands of dollars in Hurricane Katrina funds.
David Robert Candelaria, 37, and Harold Dennis Oats, 26, worked as employees at a Red Cross call center in Bakersfield, where they filed false claims to get money wired to themselves or to family and friends.
U.S. District Judge Anthony Ishii sentenced Candelaria to 18 months in prison and Oats to 10 months. They also were ordered to repay $12,520. Both pleaded guilty to several counts of wire fraud as part of plea deals.
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