Joplin woman pleads guilty to tornado fraud

(From the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri)


Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Joplin, Mo., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to aggravated identity theft and to fraudulently receiving federal disaster benefits following the tornado that struck the city of Joplin on May 22, 2011, killing 158 people and causing more than $2.9 billion in damage.

Brittany Aulden Barnes, 23, of Joplin, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of disaster fraud and one count of identity theft.

Disaster Fraud

By pleading guilty today, Barnes admitted that she fraudulently received disaster benefits by claiming that her residence in Joplin had been damaged by the tornado. When Barnes met with a FEMA-contracted inspector to discuss her claim on June 6, 2011, she also claimed the loss of a number of furniture items and appliances. Barnes was awarded $6,708 in disaster relief. In addition, Barnes resided at a FEMA-provided mobile home for more than a year, from September 2011 to December 2012, at a total cost to FEMA of $12,066.

However, Barnes admitted today that the Joplin apartment was not her residence at the time of the tornado – on that date the apartment stood vacant. Barnes had rented the apartment prior to the Joplin tornado, and had occupied it along with her boyfriend, Russell Lamar Green. However, Barnes and Green had moved out before the tornado struck. In a separate but related case, Green pleaded guilty on Aug. 7, 2014, to making false statements to FEMA in a failed effort to also receive disaster benefits.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Barnes acknowledged that $18,774 in restitution is due to FEMA.

Aggravated Identity Theft

Barnes also admitted that, while working at an Applebee’s restaurant in Joplin in May 2013, she stole a co-worker’s wallet, which contained the victim’s Missouri driver’s license, Social Security card, debit card and three credit cards.

Barnes used the stolen identity documents to impersonate the victim on several occasions. For example, she used a counterfeit personal check (drawn on the bank account of another victim) to purchase a $269 Sony Playstation game console at Best Buy. She cashed three counterfeit $598 payroll checks (drawn on the bank accounts of two additional victims) at two Wal-Mart stores.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Barnes acknowledged that $2,064 in restitution is due to those victims.

Under federal statutes, Barnes is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000 and an order of restitution, for disaster fraud. Barnes is also subject to a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000 and an order of restitution, for aggravated identity theft. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Mohlhenrich. It was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General, the FBI and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.