Deepwater Horizon Spill: Fraudulent Claimant Sentenced

The owner of a Fort Walton Beach business has been sentenced to six months in prison for committing fraud in collecting damages from the BP oil spill, reports the Daily News citing a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announcement.

Arturo Molina, who has been in prison since he was arrested in March, will get credit for time served. He also must pay nearly $14,000 in restitution.

An indictment handed down in February states that Molina “submitted false and fraudulent paychecks” to the Gulf Coast Claims Facility and received a check for $13,900 for losses to his business, A&M Professional Framing, reports Daily News.

He submitted a second claim for $19,800 and included false and fraudulent income tax documents to support it, the indictment added, but it was reportedly not paid.

Source: Daily News nwfdailynews.com