Gulfport Mayor Indicted On Katrina Fraud

Source: Sun Herald

GULFPORT, Miss. -- Mayor Brent Warr and his wife Laura entered pleas of not guilty in a 16-count indictment of Katrina fraud this morning in federal court.

Instead, Warr said their defense will be presented in court. A tentative trial date of April 6 has been set by Roper.

The case will be tried by U.S. District Judge Walter J. Gex. If convicted of each count, potentially the Warr’s each face up to 210 years imprisonment and up to $4 million in fines.
The Warrs were released on unsecured bonds of $25,000 each.

State auditor Stacey Pickering said since Jan. 10, 2008, his office has received 23 indictments for Katrina-related fraud in state and federal court.

“We appreciate the joint effort by the United States Attorney, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Housing and Urban Development as we continue to investigate allegations of Katrina fraud and hold citizens of Mississippi accountable," he said.

Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/pageone/story/1093278.html

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Mayor BRENT WARR is a republican

Republicans were the ones who said that we should blame the local politicians for the Katrina F-up.

Careful what you ask for.

Gregory Brent Warr and Laura Jean Warr were indicted by a federal Grand Jury for
Hurricane Katrina related fraud in a sixteen count indictment alleging the Warrs conspired to
defraud the United States, filed a false claim for disaster assistance, made false statements to
FEMA, stole government funds, and committed mail and wire fraud.

The indictment alleges in
part that the Warrs made a false statement to the Mississippi Development Authority for a HUD funded home grant and committed mail fraud in obtaining funds from Lexington Insurance Company. If convicted of each count, potentially the Warrs each face up to 210 years imprisonment and up to $4,000,000.00 in fines. The defendants were released on bond and ordered to appear April 6, 2009, for trial.


http://media.sunherald.com/smedia/2009/01/28/11/warr_arrest_final.source.prod_affiliate.77.pdf

:grr: :banghead: :nuke:

http://www.gulfcoastnews.com/GCNspecialReportWarrBuildingPermits012608.htm

Building Permits Fees for Gulfport Mayor Brent Warr
Records show no fees paid and incorrect property ownership on Beachfront House

By Keith Burton – GCN Filed 1/26/08
Updated 2/18/08

GCN has been conducting a continued inquiry into the construction of the home of Gulfport Mayor Brent Warr since finding that the mayor received a Katrina Homeowner Grant in a house he purchased in 2003 but has never lived in.

The Homeowner Grant program requires recipients to live in their homes as their primary residence prior to hurricane Katrina August 29,2005. Since GCN’s publication of that story, there has not be a response by state officials with the Mississippi Development Authority, which administers the grant program, regarding Warr’s receipt of the grant. The MDA Homeowner Grant money could be as much as $150,000.

In looking further into the house, which is under renovation at 1814 Beach Drive, GCN has focused on the building permits on the property.

According to records provided to GCN from the City of Gulfport. Warr has received three permits on the property, two building permits and an electrical contractor permit. All were issued in 2007. City building officials tell GCN that all building permit records prior to the hurricane were destroyed. GCN had requested all building permits since 2003 on the property.



...more...

If Warr was in the financial sector industry however, he would have been able to hide the fraud much easier. In fact he probably would have gotten a year end bonus.
:grr:

And Warr is seeking re-election. What is it with these types that think an elected office is something that's inherited and they deserve to keep it no matter what!


Sonia

people of Gulfport, Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian, Waveland, etc. got decent coverage from their insurance companies or the government agencies that were supposed to be helping them out.

Source: SunHerald.com

A Hurricane Katrina-recovery ambassador to President George W. Bush and the nation, Mayor Brent Warr says his work and the city’s will continue as prosecutors prepare a federal case against him and his wife, Laura, on 16 charges of Katrina fraud.

The Warrs cried quietly Wednesday in the corridor of the U.S. District courthouse just blocks from City Hall after they were each indicted on 16 charges: one count of conspiracy, one count of fraud, two counts of theft of public funds, four counts of making false statements, three counts of wire fraud and five counts of mail fraud.

The indictment says the Warrs reconstructed their beachfront mansion with $222,798 in ill-gotten gains from FEMA, HUD and Lexington Insurance Co. from September 2005 to March 2007. The Warrs received the maximum $150,000 HUD homeowners grant through the Mississippi Development Authority, $9,558 in FEMA funds and $88,440.10 from Lexington Insurance Co., the indictment says.

Prosecutors contend they were not entitled to the federal money because they had not moved into the beachfront home before the Aug. 29, 2005, hurricane. The government also says they misrepresented their losses to Lexington.

Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/pageone/story/1101092.html

From Gulf Cost News:

By Keith Burton - GCN 12/14/07

GulfCoastNews.com has learned from reliable Republican Party sources that Gulfport Mayor Brent Warr is on the short list of those under consideration to be appointed by the governor to replace retiring Trent Lott for the U.S. Senate.



http://www.gulfcoastnews.com/GCNnewsWarrOnShortListReplaceLot121407.htm

Note: makes me sick if it is a Republican or Democrat - Heck of a job Brown and Bush:puke:

I can't believe a Republican would do that, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn, once.

It's obvious that all corruption emanates from there.

:sarcasm:

He abused mega$$$$ worth of Katrina aid as well...