Toledo man sentenced for defrauding FEMA

1/13/2010

A Toledo man who admitted to defrauding the government by applying for and receiving money intended for hurricane victims was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Toledo to time behind bars.

Stephen Gibbs was sentenced to six months in prison and three years of supervised release. Judge James Carr also ordered Gibbs to pay $11,710 in restitution.

Gibbs was convicted last year of theft of government property after he admitted making three claims totaling $5,710. He also helped others in making an additional three claims totaling $6,000.

Gibbs was one of nearly 30 Toledo residents charged since June with fraudulently making claims to the Federal Emergency Management Agency by calling national help hot lines between September, 2005, and February, 2006.