Go after those who took advantage of our pain after Katrina: An editorial

Trying to defraud the public is a serious offense. Doing it after a terrible disaster like Hurricane Katrina makes such thievery even more offensive.

letten.jpgU.S. Attorney Jim Letten.

That's why prosecutors were right to pursue last week's indictment against former FEMA supervisor Robert Blevins and disaster services contractor David Dangler.

A grand jury in New Orleans charged Mr. Blevins, of South Carolina, and Mr. Dangler, of Roatan, Honduras, with conspiracy and wire fraud charges for allegedly colluding to help Mr. Dangler secure a FEMA contract. The agency awarded the contract, worth more than $100 million, to service and deactivate thousands of FEMA trailers in Plaquemines Parish.

If convicted, each man faces a maximum 25 years in prison and fines of $500,000. Mr. Blevins also faces three additional years in prison for alleged witness tampering during the investigation. Prosecutors said he urged his girlfriend to lie to a grand jury about the ill-gotten contract. The government said it plans to try to recoup $31 million paid under the contract.

As a FEMA contracting officer, Mr. Blevins allegedly advised Mr. Dangler on how to successfully underbid for the contract in 2006, the indictment said. At the same time, Mr. Blevins was allegedly negotiating to work for Mr. Dangler as part of the FEMA contract and did so after he resigned from FEMA in 2006.

Mr. Blevins was prohibited from doing any of this. He had been the technical advisor in a separate contract involving Mr. Dangler, and the two were banned from working together in a separate contracting process under federal rules.

These are serious charges. Honest contracting is essential to reduce the likelihood of public waste and to keep a level playing field for all contractors. That's why these charges are important.