A former FBI director investigating alleged misconduct inside the settlement program for compensating victims of BP's 2010 Gulf oil spill has concluded that a claimant at the center of the investigation was awarded more than $357,000 based on fraudulent information.

In a court filing late Wednesday (Jan. 8), Louis Freeh recommended that a federal judge rescind the award to Casey C. Thonn and order any lawyer who profited from the settlement to pay restitution.

"In filing claims with the Deepwater Horizon Economic Claims Center, Mr. Thonn presented false information and documents, including tax 'returns' that in fact had never been filed with the Internal Revenue Service," the filing said.

The claims center paid Thonn the money "based upon these false documents and Mr. Thonn's misrepresentation of his 2009 shrimping income," the filing said.

Freeh asked the court to order Thonn and any lawyers who benefited to pay back the money they received.

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