Alabama Judge Grants Probation to 4 in Oil Spill Claims Fraud

Four people will spend five years on probation after being convicted of pocketing money from Gulf oil spill claims.

The Press-Register reported that U.S. District Judge William Steele also ordered the four to pay back money they received from the Gulf Coast Claims Facility during a hearing last week in Mobile.

BP PLC set up the fund to compensate people harmed by an oil spill caused by the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig last year.

Pamela Washington, Robert Brown, Nicole Buford and Vernon Cox all pleaded guilty in September to conspiracy to commit fraud. They admitted that a woman filed bogus claims on their behalf, and some gave her kickbacks.

The woman, Gladys Douglas, also pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.