Bill J. Neal, 60, of North Carolina, who served more than six years in prison in three states for criminal sexual conduct, attempted embezzlement of public money, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and cocaine possession. After last year’s hurricanes, he trained new inspectors in Florida. Neal told the newspaper he had an impeccable work record.
The newspaper found 30 inspectors or managers with criminal records out of 133 it was able to identify through confidential sources, news clips, FEMA applicants and the Internet. A case against another inspector, charged in Mississippi with the attempted rape of a Hurricane Ivan victim, is still pending. The count includes those with at least one misdemeanor offense, such as drunken driving, but excludes traffic citations or infractions.
Of the inspectors and supervisors identified as having records, 17 had criminal histories at the time they were hired. At least four lost their jobs for arrests after they were hired, including one scheduled for sentencing May 6 in California for child molestation, and two convicted of federal bribery charges for promising higher FEMA payments in exchange for money.
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