Mississippi Man Changes Plea in Oil Spill Fraud Case

A change of plea hearing is scheduled for Jan. 29 for a Hancock County, Miss., man in a fraud case involving an $18,000 check he received in oil spill recovery money.

Luom Van Ngo will appeal before U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola Jr. in Gulfport. He has been free on bond since his indictment in October.

The Sun Herald reports that Ngo allegedly made false statements to receive money for alleged losses after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in April 2010.

According to court records, Ngo filed a claim in July 2010 in Waveland that stated he had lost money from his shrimping and fishing business. The indictment says Ngo submitted invoices for the sale of seafood and for crab and shrimp licenses but his claim contained false statements.