NEW ORLEANS – A St. John the Baptist Parish man who worked for Deepwater Horizon claims center has pleaded guilty to defrauding his former employer of $257,400.
Charlie English III, 33, of St. John the Baptist Parish, pleaded guilty to wire fraud last week for providing fraudulent documentation to support a a false claim showing he had decreased income due to the 2010 Gulf oil spill.
English worked as an adjuster for the Gulf Coast Claims Facility in the aftermath of the oil spill helping claimants calculate settlement awards for lost income due to the oil spill.
As part of his sentence, English is required to repay $257,400 as well as to serve three years probation. In his plea deal, he admitted to conspiracy by helping claimants submit false statements for lost earnings for non-existent commercial fishing businesses. For providing help with the fraudulent claims, English admitted he was provided some of the proceeds.
BP-operated website, The State of the Gulf, reports on its “Fraud Tally” that 264 cases of fraud spanning 11 states and worth $26,859,283 have been reported resulting in 187 convictions.
U.S. Attorney Kenneth Polite’s office handled English’s prosecution.