CEDAR RAPIDS – A woman who lied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to get disaster benefits following the June 2008 Eastern Iowa flood was sentenced on January 16, 2013, to eighteen months in federal prison.
Emily Protsman, age 37, now of Coralville and formerly from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 30, 2012, guilty plea to one count of disaster benefits fraud.
At the October 30, 2012, guilty plea hearing, Protsman admitted that, on July 18, 2008, she submitted a fraudulent application to FEMA seeking benefits related to the June 2008 flood in Eastern Iowa. Protsman admitted she falsely claimed she lived at a specific residence in Cedar Rapids at the time of the flood and that her home and personal property were damaged. Protsman admitted that, at the time of the flood, she did not live at the residence identified in the application and Protsman’s home and personal property were not damaged.
Protsman was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Protsman was sentenced to eighteen months’ imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release. A special assessment of $100 was imposed, and she was ordered to make $8846.95 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system.
Protsman was released on previously set conditions and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on February 20, 2013.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
MC did recieve money for the bandshell.
http://www.masoncity.net/files/documents/2009_March_Minutes_Park_&_Recreation_Board_08-13-2009_115123.pdf
Thanks barney, I knew it was there, but I couldn’t find it in black and white.
The band shell in east park wasn’t damaged by the flood of 2008 but the city received fema money for damages that never happened.
The City didn’t receive any FEMA money for the bandshell.
I’m thinking that the city received between 25 and 30 thousand for the band shell. Some of which was used for the foundation replacement on the north side. Most of the money that has been donated, went for the restoration of the front half, which is the original bandshell. The front facade, which has the stone around it, is also not part of the original bandshell.
The word person omitted above^^^
Good, but virtually every involved with compensation from FEMA has cheated and lied, Her prosecution is like peeing in the ocean! So typical of anything ran by the federal government!