Fla. man pleads guilty to BP spill claims fraud

A Florida man has pleaded guilty to attempting to defraud the BP oil spill claims fund by faking losses from a commercial fishing business. Court records show 37-year-old Eliu Gonzalez of Florida City pleaded guilty Wednesday to a wire fraud charge. He faces a maximum 20-year prison term when sentenced in January. BP created its $20 billion claims fund to compensate losses stemming from the April 2010 oil rig explosion and spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In October last year, prosecutors say Gonzalez submitted a claim of more than $110,000.