Detroit-area man loses appeal over BP oil fraud

DETROIT (AP) - An appeals court won't upset a 15-year prison sentence for a Detroit-area man who received $44,000 through a bogus claim from the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Duane Montgomery challenged a federal judge's decision to go beyond the guideline range. But the appeals court, in a 3-0 decision, found nothing unreasonable last week. Montgomery, who once ran for Detroit mayor, was convicted of fraud last year. He said his boat engine was damaged by tar balls from the 2010 oil spill, but the government learned there was no boat. He had sought more than $2 million from a fund for people who suffered losses. The appeals court agreed with prosecutors that Montgomery "appears to be completely untethered from the truth." Published: Mon, Dec 01, 2014