According to federal prosecutors, a businessman who shifted from Georgia to New Orleans after the devastating April 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has been charged for swindling the compensation fund established for genuine victims.
The Department of Justice says Dwayne, 41, has been charged a few days back on one count of mail fraud.
Lawyer Jim Letten said Smith relocated to New Orleans 4 months after the Gulf oil spill disaster and started a business named ‘D&D Designs’.
The Justice Department says Smith received $100,000 from BP’s Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) though he did not actually deserve it.
Smith is also accused of filing fraudulent tax returns from 2007 to 2010. He is facing up to 20 years in prison, in addition to fines and reimbursement of received money.
