FEMA PROBING ACTIVITIES AT NOHO BENEFITS OFFICE.Byline: Troy Anderson Staff Writer Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the federal agency responsible for coordinating emergency planning, preparedness, risk reduction, response, and recovery. The agency works closely with state and local governments by funding emergency programs and providing technical officials said Monday that they were investigating alleged fraudulent activities at a North Hollywood office that employed workers to tele-register hurricane victims for benefits. ``We were called Friday by one of the TV stations (in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. ) about this center,'' FEMA FEMA, n.pr See Federal Emergency Management Agency. spokeswoman Mary Margaret Walker Dr. Margaret Abigail Walker Alexander (July 7, 1915 – November 30, 1998) was an African-American poet and author born in Birmingham, Alabama. She wrote as Margaret Walker. One of her most known poems is "For My People". Her father Sigismund C. said. ``There were other allegations about some of their activities. We are going to look into them.'' The office is one of approximately a half-dozen nationwide operated by Englewood, Colo.-based Teletech that the U.S. General Services Administration The General Services Administration (GSA) was established by section 101 of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 U.S.C.A. § 751). The GSA sets policy for and manages government property and records. has contracted with on behalf of FEMA to register hurricane victims for assistance. Teletech officials did not return calls for comment. Walker said the North Hollywood office was shut down over the weekend because the number of people seeking hurricane assistance has been dropping and Teletech's services were no longer needed. Since the hurricanes struck the Gulf Coast, FEMA has awarded $2.9 billion to 842,317 people, Walker said. Walker said FEMA decided to investigate the allegations after the Daily News received a news tip that employees working at the office may have falsely registered people for FEMA benefits. That tip came on the heels of an KNBC KNBC Kings Norton Bowling Club (Channel 4) investigation last week in which FEMA officials admitted they haven't always verified whether applicants really qualified for benefits. KNBC obtained a surveillance tape of a man cashing a FEMA check at a San Fernando liquor store, but the man's mother said he had lived in the Los Angeles area since at least 1995. Since the Gulf Coast hurricanes struck, a flurry of similar cases have been reported around the nation. On Monday, Burbank resident Tino Lee, 44, and Glendale resident Gina Liz Nicholas, 19, pleaded not guilty to charges of posing as American Red Cross American Red Cross: see Red Cross. volunteers last month in Burbank and soliciting money under the false pretense that donations would assist victims of Hurricane Katrina. A federal trial was scheduled for Nov. 8. Earlier this month, nine Bakersfield residents were charged with participating in a wire fraud scheme to defraud the American Red Cross of funds intended for hurricane victims. Troy Anderson, (213) 974-8985 troy.anderson(at)dailynews.com |
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