Suspects arrested in Katrina fraud tied to Angora Fire
By Jason Felch, Los Angeles Times
Louisiana State Police arrested the head of a Palos Verdes-based disaster recovery company Thursday on suspicion of stealing more than $320,000 from victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Steve Slepcevic, the 41-year old founder and chief executive officer of Paramount Disaster Recovery Inc., evaded authorities for days before arriving at St. Tammany Parish courthouse in a white 7 Series BMW to turn himself in, said Eric Adams, senior trooper with the Louisiana State Police.
His former business partner and Paramount attorney Matthew Todd was arrested in California early Monday morning and is in a Los Angeles County jail awaiting extradition to Louisiana. Another former Paramount employee, Michael Mekeel, 38, has agreed to turn himself in to authorities in the coming days, Adams said.
