7 family members of Alabama's Homeland Security secretary charged with fraud

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - A grand jury has indicted seven people who are accused of receiving thousands of dollars in fraudulent claims related to the 2010 BP Oil Spill disaster. The federal indictment was made public this week. Al.com and WPMI-TV and reports that four of the defendants are related to the Alabama Secretary of Law Enforcement and Homeland Security, Spencer Collier. The station reports that Spencer Collier is not a subject of the fraud investigation. It identified his relatives who were named in the indictment as Collier's former sister-in-law Tonya; son Christopher; brother Harvey and nephew Wayne Eric. The Colliers have all pleaded not guilty. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley, who appointed Collier to his post, offered support in a statement Wednesday, vowing to "continue to support Spencer Collier during this difficult time." ---