PEARL RIVER - A man was indicted Thursday for multiple counts of wire fraud stemming from false disaster assistance claims.

U.S. Attorney Duane Evans said 53-year-old Slaughter resident Clarence "Billy" Burkette defrauded the Town of Pearl River out of nearly $600,000 in FEMA claims.

Burkette was contracted to manage disaster assistance services for Pearl River. According to the indictment, Burkette invoiced the town for $629,761 for services related to their Disaster Assistance Agreement, and Burkette pocketed $589,196.

If convicted, Burkette faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, a $1,000,000 fine, and fees for each count.