Appeals Court Upholds Prison Term for Gulf Oil Spill Claims Fraud

October 20, 2014

A federal appeals court has upheld the fraud conviction of man who pretended to be a shrimp-boat captain and alleged he lost his livelihood to collect oil spill recovery money.

A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Court of Appeals last week denied Joseph Anthony Clements’ challenge to his 53-month prison term.

Clements, of Vancleave, Mississippi, was convicted last year in federal court in Gulfport.

He was paid $36,300 from the fund reserved for victims of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Prosecutors said Anthony misrepresented himself as business owner who lost money.

Clements alleged he owned a shrimping and fishing business before the oil spill of April 2010 and filed paperwork including documents showing his income and losses.

The appeals panel said Clement’s sentence was appropriate.

Topics Fraud Claims Energy Oil Gas

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