FMB men indicted for making false claims following BP oil spill

Published: Updated:
MGN

FORT MYERS, Fla.- Two Fort Myers Beach men have been charged with submitting false claims to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement fund.

If convicted, Marque Amason, 49, and William Soong, 27, each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. 

Authorities say Soong submitted a claim seeking payment for damages he allegedly sustained as a boat captain. However, officials say Soong was not, and had not been, a boat captain and was not entitled to the payment he sought and received.

Officials say Amason also reported damages he sustained as a boat captain following the oil spill. To support his claim, he fraudulently claimed he had been a shrimp boat captain during a particular time period. However, Amason was actually incarcerated during a portion of that same time period, officials said.

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