Three FEMA contractors arrested for looting in Plaquemines Parish

[htuttle]

Three Texas truck drivers under contract with the federal government to bring in storm relief supplies for Plaquemines Parish have been arrested for allegedly looting toys, dolls, women’s lingerie and other merchandise from a Belle Chasse Family Dollar store, authorities said.

(snip)

Marie said that since the relief effort began, drivers for the Federal Emergency Management Agency had been allowed to take drinks, personal grooming supplies and other small items from the Family Dollar store at 7902 Louisiana 23.

But he said the three suspects went much further, loading the cabs of their trucks with toys such as Barbie dolls, kitchen appliances, telephones, answering machines, waste paper baskets and other goods.

“When we arrested them, they had enough stolen stuff to fill five grocery carts full of property,” Marie said.

(more at link)
http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_Times-Picayune/archives/2005_09.html#078200

[stillcool]

1. Priceless....n/t

[seemslikeadream]

2. Two FEMA guys stole pumps that a friend of my son drove 12hrs.

to get to the people of Mississippi

[henslee]

26. they were roommates of Bush's roomates, roomate. Cronyism squared.

[jbnow]

40. What happened?

Did they do it openly? (like saying we are FEMA, we will use them in the right place)
Or did they do it sneakily and got caught?

What were the pumps? I know basically what a pump is, but were these to pump water out of a house or what?

Just had to hear more...it's horrible! Such a long drive to offer equipment to help, for that outcome?
Talk about the trickle down theory, a bad attitude at the top and they think they can get away with anything.

[ronnykmarshall]

68. PUMPS??

What the hell is going on? A bunch of drag queens lose on the streets stealing pumps????

[GoddessOfGuinness]

73. The store was fresh out of hip-waders

:D

[displacedtexan]

3. Besides being disgusting...

How pitiful that those guys knocked off a Dollar Store! Where the poorest of the poor can actually shop and find decent stuff for their homes and children.

[saigon68]

44. They are probably used to shopping at the dollar store

They knew right where the "GOOD STUFF" was </sarcasm>

[skooooo]

4. Wish this would get national attention by the media

[bribri16]

33. It will if you and the rest of us bombard the networks with e-mails.

Somebody read those e-mails and the more there are the more attention they will attract. let the Freeps know about it also.

[NashVegas]

5. My God, What Idiots!

You're in New Orleans, the sin capital of the USA, and you're going to steal lingerie from a Family Dollar?

[notadmblnd]

15. surely they had a Fredricks of Hollywood

down there? :shrug:

[WorseBeforeBetter]

43. I used to bust on Frederick's...

until I saw this:

http://buyblue.org/detail.php?corpId=121

Evidently the donation was "small," but 100% blue!!

On edit: Pardon the pun!

[htuttle]

21. Well, when a guy has a craving for the soft feel of satin on his buttocks

...They'll usually be willing to settle for whatever lingerie is at hand, even if it's from the Family Dollar.

:D

[me b zola]

45. From a report I heard today

The NG was guarding high-dollar stores. Really. Standing post outside the higher dollar stores.

It's a good damn thing GWB has his priorities straight :grr:

[elehhhhna]

46. They're really protecting the insurance companies.

[MnFats]

67. Does NOLA have a Ministry of Oil? A Ministry of antiquities?

Fuck the priceless ancient relics....protect the oil, goddamnit!

[Voltaire99]

71. LOL! Nice one, Crisco. (nt)

[joemurphy]

6. More benefits of privatization. n/t

[FightingIrish]

7. Did you notice where these carpetbaggers came from?

The great state of Texas.

[gulfcoastliberal]

27. Where would Texas be without federal welfare?

Texans:

Damn the federal gomint and their black choppers! But please, pump money into our state!

:rolleyes:

[DURHAM D]

8. God I hope Keith knows about this - he is on in 45 minutes. eom

[htuttle]

10. I just emailed it to him

[DURHAM D]

14. Thanks. n/t

[benfranklin1776]

9. Must have been on loan from Halliburton.

That would explain their irrestible compulsion to steal while working for the United States Government.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

11. I think the proper response is;

"Looters! Shoot the looters!"

[tanyev]

37. Yeah, what happened to "Shoot to kill!"?

[DoYouEverWonder]

12. Typical FEMA Freepers

they did everything they could to prevent aid and assistance from getting to the people of NO. Adding looting to the list doesn't surprise me in the least.

[aikoaiko]

13. time open up a can of "ruthlessness on looters" nt

[Catch22Dem]

16. lingere from a Family Dollar? MmmmmmmKaaaaay

If you're gonna go down in the news for being a thief do you really wanna have it be for lingere from Family Dollar? Freepers for sure.

[aquart]

28. I'm sure the wife will welcome it.

The girlfriend will expect more upscale looting.

[IndyOp]

48. LOL!

:rofl:

[Mist]

35. That's my take-Family Dollar, for cryin' out loud!?!? I mean, if you're

gonna steal, hit the fancy places!

[indepat]

17. Gee, how wonderful privatizing is for the pirates

[RageFist]

18. I bet they're white too.

[RoBear]

58. I was going to say...

They must be black.

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[Fight_n_back]

19. Finding!

They found this stuff.

[Megahurtz]

20. Fucking Pathetic. n/t

[ModerateLee]

22. Jeez...

I'm sure they were Republicans!

[KamaAina]

23. Don't you mean "finding"? (sarcasm)

Somehow I doubt that very many FEMA contractors fall into the "looter" as opposed to "finder" category, if you receive my drift.

FEMA is a four-letter word?

[LisaL]

24. If I am going to loot, a dollar store sounds like a place to go.

:sarcasm:

[NYC]

25. Can we shoot Homeland Security's FEMA now?

Looting? Didn't George W(ho gives a damn) Bush say looters would be dealt with harshly?

[GeorgeBushytail]

29. Time for Civil Disobedience - 9/11 March to Bushville, DC

www.bushville.org

[IDemo]

30. They weren't looting

Their payment for the goods would have arrived in the till after another week, trust them.

[damntexdem]

31. Now we know why they needed FEMA training before going in:

proper modes of looting and plundering.

[bribri16]

32. Privatization...I told you so...most of government is already contracted

out to Repulbican campaign contributors who make the big money off the top and then sub-contract to god knows who.

[Rich Hunt]

34. stealing from a small business, too n/t

Not that I defend stealing from anywhere, but they're stealing from a small business and that would hurt them more.

[sakabatou]

36. ROTFL

[complain jane]

38. why, this looks like a MEDIA BLAST worthy piece of information

[Laelth]

39. Take a lesson here ...

on the dangers of outsourcing. Do you think federal employees would risk their jobs to loot the Family Dollar? Not a chance.

When will the American people finally realize that there are just some jobs that it's best for the government to do? Yes, it might be a little more expensive that way (and there's room for debate on this), but at least the job will get done efficiently and, generally, by the rules.

That's the main problem we had here. FEMA was outsourced. Brown was trying to line up "contracts" when the hurricane hit. That's a big part of why the response was so slow. And it's also a big part of why the job is getting done so poorly.

-Laelth

[Secular Agent Man]

41. Just some "underprivileged" FEMA folks needing assistance.

Don't they screen these people? :eyes:

[Child_Of_Isis]

42. FEMA= looters!!!!! This is definitely a Keith story! n/t.

[disconnected]

47. you know

if they'd called out for volunteers to assist on CNN I think a better job would have been done that what was. geez.

[yellowcanine]

49. They looted a Dollar store? How pathetic.

[Piperay]

50. That's why people don't want to leave

their homes and I can't blame them. What the storm didn't distroy these 'helpers' will steal. :mad:

[Solly Mack]

51. sums up how Bush Inc operates

[ngGale]

52. Geeeezzzz....

didn't think FEMA could sink any lower. My bad!

[Vinca]

53. Now this is what I don't understand about looters . . .

and I guess it's because they're not the sharpest tacks in the box . . . why on earth loot a dollar store? If I decided to become a looter (which, of course, is about as likely to happen as my sending a fan letter to George Bush), I'd head for Tiffanys or an art gallery or a bank.

[OKNancy]

54. kick

[Roland99]

55. Three FEMA contractors arrested for looting in Plaquemines Parish

http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_Times-Picayune/archives/2005_09.html#078200

Three Texas truck drivers under contract with the federal government to bring in storm relief supplies for Plaquemines Parish have been arrested for allegedly looting toys, dolls, women’s lingerie and other merchandise from a Belle Chasse Family Dollar store, authorities said.

Booked late Wednesday night with one count each of looting were Gerald W. Thomas, 47, of Tyler, Texas; Thomas Sherman, 39, also of Tyler; and Lasharon Lemons, 36, of Dallas, said Major John Marie with the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Marie said that since the relief effort began, drivers for the Federal Emergency Management Agency had been allowed to take drinks, personal grooming supplies and other small items from the Family Dollar store at 7902 Louisiana 23.

But he said the three suspects went much further, loading the cabs of their trucks with toys such as Barbie dolls, kitchen appliances, telephones, answering machines, waste paper baskets and other goods

The article is a bit down the T-P Breaking News page so the title of this thread matches the title of that article.

[Wickerman]

56. Privatization is good, so stop saying that

and the hits just keep on a coming!

[mopinko]

59. many of us saw this coming

back in the raygun days, when this idea got cranked up. many people can not do math, and think that you can hire someone to do something, they can make a profit, and it can still be cheaper. they forget to check the price tag after the initial, promotional rate. those of us that can add, knew that fuzzy math=theft with a pen. however, i have never sold one of these buttons.

[lizlib]

57. Email from corporate america...FEMA mentioned.

I work for a large insurance company... we just got the email can someone start a post for me I don't have enough posts. Here it is:



Yesterday I met with the Community Action team and they indicated they have received numerous requests asking about how we can help those impacted by Hurricane Katrina. While we've been working on a couple of things, one item came up late yesterday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approached us for help in processing claim notices. They simply don't have the staff to pull this off and are reaching out to corporate America for assistance, and especially those companies with call centers.

Details at this point are still a little vague and we are also evaluating if we can get out technology linked up to make this happen.

and it goes on about internal stuff...interesting fema is depending on corporate america!

[CrispyQ]

61. They are depending on corporate America because

boosh & his thugs have gutted our government, looted our treasury & filled critical positions with their cronies who are not qualified to do the job. They are deliberately trying to make government look ineffective & inefficient.

[slampoet]

60. So when are the FEMA contractors going to be shot?

[Theres-a]

62. Upon reflection

I remember reading somewhere the evacuees were in desperate need of clean underwear,I have seen children with dolls on CNN,perhaps these guys were distributing what they took?Robin hood types,who couldn't be bullied into just giving people snacks and shampoo?

[Dervill Crow]

64. I like your thinking.

If they are working for FEMA one would hope that their hearts are in the right place. (Note: I'm not talking about good-job-Brownie!)

[Theres-a]

65. It would be great if more of those

Guys started following their hearts instead of orders.

[Ariana Celeste]

69. I hope you're right.

It's the people at the top who are heartless, and I imagine a decent chunk of the regular FEMA workers could be. But many of them are regular Americans like us.

[demo dutch]

63. Let's see... Private contractors... Texas... What else is new!

[0007]

66. In some countries they would shoot these people and be done with it!

In time of an emergency who has time for formalities.

[NorthernSpy]

70. stealing a TV means you're bad...

... stealing dollar store lingerie means you're bad and weird.

[Miss Chybil]

72. Must have been black guys, right?

Maybe?

/sarcasm

[Mokito]

74. Irony, thy name is...FEMA

nt