Mississippi Brothers Face Charges for Katrina Fraud

Two brothers from Waveland, Miss., face charges that they lied to get federal money to repair and elevate a hurricane-damaged home after 2005’s Hurricane Katrina.

Richard Frank Bourgeois Jr., 48, and Wallace Gary Bourgeois, 44, pleaded not guilty earlier this month, the Sun Herald reports.

A federal grand jury indicted them in January, accusing them of stealing public money and making false statements for assistance between July 2006 and April 2008.

Richard Bourgeois faces four counts of making false statements, while his brother faces two counts.

The indictment says the men received government money after each signed false statements saying the home was their primary residence when Katrina struck.

Court papers don’t say how much money they received. Maximum grant amounts were $100,000 for repairs and $30,000 for elevation.