Police- Mo. man not hurricane victim

ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis man was accused Friday of falsely claiming to be a victim of Hurricane Katrina in seeking $2,000 in relief money, federal prosecutor Catherine Hanaway said.

Dexter Jackson, 43, could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Hanaway said Jackson made the false claim to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Hanaway said police encountered Jackson on Sept. 15. He told officers he was a survivor of the hurricane and asked for help finding temporary housing.

Officers contacted the American Red Cross and learned that Jackson had visited the Red Cross on four different occasions, using different names each time, saying he was a survivor.

but his family had been killed in the hurricane.

On Wednesday, a man who had provided temporary housing to Jackson told police that he received a disaster assistance check from FEMA, addressed and payable to Jackson for $2,000.