(AP) --
A South Carolina woman must reimburse the federal government the $10,000 she received for falsely claiming to be a victim of Hurricane Katrina.
Linda Jackson was sentenced Thursday to probation and ordered to repay the money after pleading guilty earlier this year to filing false claims and receiving public money.
Prosecutors said Jackson received five checks from the Federal Emergency Management Agency by claiming to live in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Addis, La., when Hurricane Katrina made landfall in 2005.
Prosecutors said Jackson applied through a toll-free line while living in South Carolina.
The Greenville News reported that Jackson's attorney, David Plowden, told the judge Jackson was sorry. He said "ripping off FEMA" was sad but easy.
Information from: The Greenville News, http://www.greenvillenews.com
(Copyright ©2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
