HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - A Columbia man has pleaded guilty to one count of his indictment, charging him with filing false claims for Deepwater Horizon oil spill relief funding.

The Hattiesburg American reports Jermaine Ball is charged with a separate felony for each of the $5,000 checks he received under what prosecutors claim were false pretenses. A federal grand jury indicted him Aug. 7.

He pleaded guilty to 1 of the charges earlier this month and entered into a plea agreement. Ball is set for sentencing in March before U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett.

The plea agreement states that Ball could face up to 20 years in prison, three years probation and a fine up to $250,000.

Information from: The Hattiesburg American, http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com

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