Prosecutors dropped 19 other charges against Brent Warr and all 20 against his wife, Laura. Brent Warr was sentenced to three years probation and was ordered to pay $9,558 in restitution.
"From the beginning, I've said that protecting my family was my number one priority ... So, this evening, my children can go to bed and say their prayers knowing that their mother and father will be tucking them in tonight and every night for the rest of their childhood," Brent Warr said in a statement.
"Since Katrina, we haven't had a chance to even take a breath. Now, we can breathe a little easier. And I can begin to rebuild the damage done to my family's good name," Warr said in the statement.
The U.S. Attorneys office said it would release a statement later.
The Warrs were accused of wrongly seeking a homeowners assistance grant for a house they owned but did not live in. They were also accused of making false claims to their insurance company.
Warr, who was the highest ranking public official accused of defrauding the government after the 2005 storm, didn't seek re-election this year after his first term.
Owen said he's pleased the Warrs "walked out of the courtroom and can put it behind them and move on with their two young children."
Owen has said the charges arose from a misunderstanding about the Warrs' living arrangements and a beachfront home they were renovating when the storm hit Aug. 29, 2005.
The government had claimed Brent Warr lied when he told FEMA that a home on Beach Drive was his family's primary residence, and that it was "fully complete, furnished, and occupied at the time of Hurricane Katrina."
Prosecutors say the family wasn't living in the home. Owen has said Warr bought the house in 2004 and was almost finished with renovations when the storm blew ashore. Brent Warr was already staying there some nights, Owen said.
The Warrs faced up to 210 years in prison and $4 million in fines had they been convicted on all counts, though maximum sentences are rarely imposed in such cases.
The charges included conspiracy to defraud the federal government, making false statements to the FEMA and insurance fraud.
QUICK HEADLINES | MORE US/WORLD | GET NEWS ALERTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABC13 SOCIAL NETWORKING
Find us on Facebook® | Follow us on Twitter | More social networking
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MORE FROM ABC13
ABC13 widget | Most popular stories |
Street-level weather
ABC13 wireless |
Slideshow archive |
Help solve crimes
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
