Police say fake hurricane victim lied to residents

This is why they have to do background checks on all the refugees.

Police say fake hurricane victim lied to residents
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/gwinnett/0905/24katfraud.html

By KEN SUGIURA
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 09/24/05

Lies that spiraled out of control ultimately entangled LaTanya Lewis.

Police arrested her Thursday, saying she posed as a Hurricane Katrina
victim and suckered Gwinnett County residents out of thousands of
dollars in goods and services.

Duluth Police Detective Frances Foster said that Lewis admitted to her
scheme in which she claimed she and her four children were not only
homeless and displaced by the hurricane, but also in the federal witness
protection program to hide from an abusive husband.

She and an apparent accomplice, Robert Cochran, 41, of Atlanta are being
held in the Gwinnett County jail without bond, charged with theft by
deception. Lewis, 29, is believed to be from Virginia.

"It's an unfolding story, but I can tell you that it's got many, many
layers," Foster said.

Police say Lewis had been living in the Lawrenceville area for more than
a year when Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. With her tale, she first
received assistance from the Impact Resource Center in Norcross, which
provides emergency housing assistance. Lewis, who told people her name
was Amaria King, spread word of her supposed woe.

Eager to help, Duluth residents began to pitch in and found her a home
in the Village at Albion Farms subdivision off Peachtree Industrial
Boulevard. Lewis, her four children and Cochran moved into a
four-bedroom, two-story home with a two-car garage that rents for $1,200
a month.

The home was soon furnished. People eager to help gave food, appliances
and "more clothes than they could wear in a year," Foster said.

Foster even said that people really homeless were chipping in to support
Lewis and her family. She said that the value of the goods and services
that Lewis allegedly received is well in excess of $10,000.

Lewis' web of deceit began to unravel when real estate agents who led
the effort began comparing stories, Foster said.

"They were becoming more and more elaborate as she told them, to the
point of being unbelievable," Foster said.

The real estate agents contacted Duluth police Tuesday. In the midst of
her investigation, Foster said she e-mailed Lewis on behalf of the
Police Department to offer protection from the supposed abusive husband,
curious how she might react.

When police showed up Thursday, Foster said the family was apparently
preparing to flee.

Foster was particularly amused at one specific lie.

"From where I come from, if you're in the witness protection program,
you're probably not going to tell people you're in the witness
protection program," Foster said.

The four children, from 5 years to 9 months in age, have been placed
with the Department of Family and Children Services. Foster said that
Lewis has arrest records in Virginia, Texas and Illinois for similar
theft by deception crimes.

Lewis may be charged by federal authorities as well. Federal prosecutors
said this week they aim to crack down on hurricane relief fraud. They
plan to make an example of an Atlanta woman charged with pretending to
be a New Orleans evacuee and receiving $2,000 in disaster assistance.
Last week, a DeKalb County woman was arrested on fraud charges for
allegedly accepting $1,300 from the Red Cross.


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