FRAUD CASES FRAUD CASES WASHINGTON  As statutes of limitations loom, law enforcement officials are pushing to bring charges in the remaining cases of fraud linked to Hurricane Katrina. A federal task force set up to police Katrina-related fraud has filed 42 cases this year, down from 124 last year and far off the peak of 409 in 2006, federal data show. More than half the cases filed so far in 2010 were launched just before the storm's fifth anniversary on Aug. 29, when the federal statute of limitations approached. "It was obviously important to make sure these meritorious cases were brought in a timely fashion," says Jim Letten, U.S. attorney for eastern Louisiana and director of the Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force. "The Katrina cases are winding down … but we will continue investigating and likely will continue bringing some prosecutions in cases where the statute of limitations has not run out." To date, federal prosecutors have charged more than 1,350 people with fraud, mainly for ripping off disaster aid and housing assistance programs. The cases have led to recoveries of more than $40 million, and more than $35 million in restitution, federal records show. State and local prosecutors have opened at least 1,000 cases and won more than $2 million in restitution, says Kurt Wall, criminal division chief in the Louisiana Attorney General's Office. Prosecutors have a bit of breathing room because many of the suspected Katrina-related scams, from rip-offs of government aid programs to contracting scams, can still be tried because they took place months, even years, after the storm. The statute for federal fraud prosecutions generally gives the government five years from the date of the crime to bring charges. The Louisiana statute of limitations for such crimes generally expires at four years, so the pressure to bring charges in state and local cases is more immediate. "It's an issue we are aware of and we are definitely (prioritizing) our cases accordingly," says Christopher Bowman, assistant district attorney for Orleans Parish, which includes much of New Orleans. "We are definitely starting to see a trail-off in complaints that are brought to our office, but … I suspect we'll still be dealing with these types of Katrina-related damage cases for at least the next 12 months, maybe longer." There are no solid estimates of how much money was lost to Katrina-related fraud, so it's impossible to know how many people got away with it or how much they stole, Letten says. The new federal cases announced in August ranged from frauds involving hundreds of thousands of dollars to relatively small-money scams. Examples: • Elaine Mullone, 63, of Houston, was charged with making false claims that her primary home was in Louisiana and wrongly collecting about $395,000 in assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Small Business Administration and the Louisiana Road Home Program. She faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. She has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial in January. • Patricia Bowman, 54, of Marrero, La., was charged with fraudulently obtaining $2,000 in FEMA assistance by claiming that she had to evacuate a home in Westwego during Katrina. Bowman actually lived in a different town and did not evacuate, according to the charges, which carry a penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. She has not had a court appearance and no trial date has been set. • Keith Watson, 55, of Slidell, La, was charged with fraudulently obtaining multiple Red Cross assistance payments totaling $12,520. Watson allegedly filed similar claims at multiple aid centers set up by the organization. He pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and awaits sentencing. "The Department of Justice has worked very hard in helping us to have cases prosecuted and to seek restitution (from) people who have defrauded us," says Laura Howe, a spokeswoman for the American Red Cross. But most of those cases have been resolved, Howe adds, and "we're down to a really small number now." Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more