Justice Department Charges 26 People For Defrauding FCC Program
For The Deaf
By Brent Kendall, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday charged 26
people in nine states with stealing tens of millions of dollars from a Federal
Communications Commission program designed to help the deaf communicate through
the telephone system.
Prosecutors alleged the defendants sent false and fraudulent claims to the
FCC's Video Relay Service program, which allows the deaf to communicate via
video link with sign-language interpreters, who then place phone calls on the
deaf person's behalf.
The department alleged that owners and employees at seven private companies
that assist the hearing-impaired processed fraudulent VRS calls that served no
purpose other than to generate call minutes that would be billed to the FCC.
"These defendants are alleged to have generated fraudulent call minutes by
making it appear that deaf Americans were engaging in legitimate calls with
hearing persons, when in reality, the defendants were simply attempting to steal
money from an FCC program that is funded by every single American who pays their
telephone bills," said Lanny Breuer, the head of the Justice Department's
criminal division.
-By Brent Kendall, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9222; brent.kendall@
dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
11-19-091654ET
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