CHARLOTTE AMALIE – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands announced today that charges have been unsealed against Juli Campbell and three others for fraud related to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power (STEP) Program.
The STEP Program provides federal funds for essential repairs to homes damaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. According to the Indictment returned by the Grand Jury in the case, Campbell operated Campbell Development, LLC, which was a subcontractor performing STEP funded work in St. Croix.
Campbell is from Gulf Breeze, Florida. She and her co-defendants are alleged to have executed a scheme whereby they submitted fraudulent invoices related to a STEP-funded subcontract, even including on such invoices the names of workers who were not actually on the island.
“The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that federal dollars are used for their intended purposes,” said U.S. Attorney Shappert. “The United States Attorney’s Office for the Virgin Islands is especially committed to making certain that federal funds intended for the victims of natural disasters are accounted for and used consistent with FEMA’s directives.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General also weighed in on Campbell.
“The DHS OIG takes any and all allegations of fraudulent activity seriously and intends to hold accountable those who try to use natural disasters such as Hurricane Maria to take advantage of others,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay H. Donly of the DHS OIG Miami Field Office. “The DHS OIG will continue to use its investigative resources to stop those who use these circumstances for personal and illegal gain.”
This case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security – Office of the Inspector General as well as Homeland Security Investigations, with support from Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nathan Brooks.
I was one of dose who went to virgin island to work with julie Campbell and never got paid
Modern day slavery. Poor workers. They deserve to get paid and provide for themselves and their families.