Texas family sentenced to prison in hurricane relief fraud case

[TexasTowelie]

LUFKIN, Texas—An East Texas minister and his family have been sentenced to federal prison for using hurricane relief funds to pay for personal expenses and fund their Jasper church.

Walter Diggles, 66, the former executive director of the Deep East Texas Council of Governments, was sentenced Tuesday to 9 years behind bars. Diggles was also ordered to pay more than $1.3 million in restitution. His wife and daughter, Rosie and Anita Diggles, were each sentenced to more than four years in prison and ordered to pay about $970,000 in joint restitution.

Walter Diggles and his wife were convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and money laundering in August 2017. Their 42-year-old daughter was convicted of a conspiracy charge.

Trial evidence shows the Diggles defrauded federal authorities out of recovery funds intended for hurricanes Rita, Katrina, Ike and Dolly.

Read more: http://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/texas/story/2018/may/24/texas-family-sentenced-prison-hurricane-relief-fraud-case/727580/

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

1. Hmmm

I smell a pardon and the right wing fundies will jump to their feet.

[OneBro]

3. Nah. Walter Diggles is not of Trump's preferred persuasion.

[TexasTowelie]

5. Thanks for stating that more eloquently.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

6. Maybe

The Christian Right would preach for him in their backwoods churches. Why not? They have been doing it blatantly at ties at a church where I go.

[TexasTowelie]

4. Hmmm, don't bet on it.

Rosie Diggles and husband Walter Diggles hold hands as they leave the Ward R. Burke Federal Courthouse in Lufkin during their criminal trial which began in late July and ended in early August of 2017.

[WhiteTara]

2. Christians and Republicons are really terrible people