Detroit Man Accused of Fraud in BP Oil Spill Case

A man who ran for Congress and Detroit mayor is going to trial on fraud charges related to the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Duane Montgomery claimed his boat engine was damaged by tar balls from the oil spill. The government says he received about $44,000 from a fund for people who suffered losses.

Here’s the problem for Montgomery: The government says there was no damaged boat. An agent says Montgomery was in the Detroit area on the day he claimed to be adrift in the Gulf of Mexico.

A jury was selected Tuesday in Detroit federal court, but the trial won’t start until July 23.

The 47-year-old Montgomery is acting as his own lawyer. He ran for Congress in 2010 and Detroit mayor in 2009.