FRESNO (AP) — Forty-nine people have been indicted in a scheme that bilked thousands of dollars from a Red Cross fund designated for Hurricane Katrina victims, federal authorities said Tuesday.
At least 14 suspects worked at a Red Cross call center in Bakersfield and are accused of helping family and friends file false claims for aid money, said Mary Wenger, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott in Sacramento.
All the suspects are from the Bakersfield area and face federal wire fraud charges, she said. Six have pleaded guilty.
The fake claims drained at least $200,000 from the fund, but that number is expected to rise as the investigation continues, Red Cross spokeswoman Devorah Goldburg said Tuesday. [Read more - USAtoday]
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