Four indicted in Red Cross fraud case
By Arthur McLean Editor

Four people arrested in 2005 in Pine Hill were charged by a federal grand jury in Mobile of defrauding the American Red Cross last week.

Three people, Davin Johnson, Tamika Nickerson and Arngelique McDole were charged with fraudulently receiving $1,565 from the agency. Nikke Arleshia Taylor, was charged with receiving $965. Jessica Genea Kimbrough pleaded guilty earlier this year to fraud in the Red Cross scheme.

On Sept. 20, 2005, Pine Hill Police Chief John N. Brown received word of a scheme by people claiming to be victims of hurricane Katrina applying to the American Red Cross for assistance. He was apparently tipped off by a West Union office worker suspicious of the amount of disaster money coming to the community.

Chief Brown said he received word that McDole, claiming to be from Florida was at her father's home on County Rd. 18, in Pine Hill and was signing up people to get two checks totaling $ 1,565.00. McDole was allegedly charging the applicants $500.00 to 700.00 per application and the people would get the balance.

"The applicants were giving a false home address from South Alabama in the areas that were declared a disaster and then giving the address up here where they were supposedly moved to after their homes were destroyed," Brown said.

Brown has served more than 30 subpoeanas to other residents in town, believing the scam runs deeper in his community than these five people.

"We think that over $100,000.00 was fraudulently scammed from the Red Cross, from Sunday, September 18 through Wednesday, September 21." Brown said.

Brown contacted the Attorney General's office who called in the United States Secret Service.

"This is still an ongoing investigation, but anyone who received money from this scam is breaking the law and could be prosecuted through the federal government or through the Attorney General's office," Brown said. "Everyone who received money signed for it at the Western Unions and cashed them in several different banks in the Camden and Thomasville areas."

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