FEMA officials, contractor accused of hurricane relief fraud, bribery
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Federal authorities said Tuesday they have arrested two former officials of the Federal Emergency Management Authority and the former president of a major disaster relief contractor, accusing them of bribery and fraud in the efforts to restore electricity to Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Puerto Rico said that the then president of Cobra Acquisitions LLC, Donald Keith Ellison, gave FEMA's deputy regional director airline flights, hotel accommodations, personal security services and the use of a credit card.
In return, Ahsha Nateef Tribble "used any opportunity she had to benefit Cobra," said U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez, including accelerating payments to the company, pressuring local power authority officials to award it contracts.
Ellison also gave a job to a friend of Tribble, Jovanda R. Patterson, who had been FEMA deputy chief of staff in Puerto Rico before resigning in July 2018 to work for Cobra Energy LLC, according to the indictment. Cobra Acquisitions and Cobra Energy are subsidiaries of Oklahoma City-based Mammoth Energy Services Inc.
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