BIRMINGHAM, Alabama
Two Birmingham area women pleaded not guilty today to charges that they tried to get disaster aid by falsely claiming to be victims of the April 27 tornadoes.
According to the indictment, Libra Nikosha Green, 31, of Birmingham claimed she lived in a Cherry Avenue house that was damaged in the tornado and that she lost her father and infant daughter in the storm. She is charged with making false statements to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
In an interview with The News earlier this month, Green said she filed for assistance on behalf of relatives who were storm victims but was not successful. She denied claiming any of her relatives died in the storm.
"We entered a plea of not guilty and intend to stand on it," her lawyer, Jonathan Cross, said today.
Sabrita Latrice Goodwin, 24, of Bessemer is accused of presenting FEMA with a fire department report that had been doctored to say her home burned because of wiring problems due to "the power outage of the tornado," the indictment said. Her lawyer, Derrick Collins, had no comment today.
After her arraignment, Goodwin was released on a $5,000 unsecured bond. Green was detained as a result of separate state case involving the fraudulent use of a credit card.
The federal fraud cases against Green and Goodwin were among the first to arise from the April tornadoes. The other defendant who has been charged, Evegelin Wilson Coleman of Tuscaloosa, is to be arraigned Sept. 22, according to federal court records. She is accused of receiving FEMA aid by falsely claiming that her primary residence was in a hard-hit area of Tuscaloosa.
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