Five people were arrested for allegedly submitting false claims that their properties were damaged in the January Los Angeles wildfires, the Justice Department announced Friday.
The defendants, whose cases are not related to each other, were able to fraudulently collect thousands of dollars in federal disaster-relief funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to the Justice Department. They have been charged with fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits and they each face a maximum of 30 years in federal prison.
Four of the five defendants are from L.A. County, and those individuals were arrested on Thursday. One defendant is from Arizona and was already in state custody on an unrelated matter when she was charged.
So far, FEMA has distributed more than $123.6 million to 33,817 people impacted by what officials warn could be the costliest disaster in modern history. FEMA grants do not need to be repaid and can be used to cover rental assistance, temporary housing, home repairs, property losses and other disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.
Deanniah Hogan, 32, of Compton, submitted a claim in January, reporting damage to a Pacific Palisades home she was allegedly renting, authorities said. She received $17,351 from FEMA. The true owner of the home later confirmed to law enforcement that the property was not being rented out. Hogan was released on $10,000 bond after making her first court appearance on Thursday. Her arraignment is scheduled for May 20.
Authorities say Delvonne Dashon Johnson, 31, of East Hollywood, submitted a claim for a Pacific Palisades home that is owned by a different person, a woman who told law enforcement she does not know Johnson and that she never rented out the property. The agency sent Johnson approximately $64,138 in federal relief funds based on his fraudulent February claim. When the true homeowner went to file a claim later, she told authorities that she was notified by FEMA that someone else had already filed a claim for her property. Johnson was scheduled to make his first court appearance Friday.
Keandre Lowe, 21, of Long Beach, allegedly claimed to be renting a home in Altadena that was damaged in the fire. The true homeowners have resided there since 2007 and said they have never rented out the property, according to authorities. Lowe received $28,286 from FEMA after submitting the fraudulent claim in January. Lowe was released on $10,000 bond after appearing in court on Thursday and his arraignment is scheduled for May 27.
Zenalyn McIntre, 38, of Sherman Oaks is accused of submitting documents to bolster a fraudulent claim, including her California driver’s license — which listed a Sherman Oaks address — and a natural gas utility bill that authorities say appeared to be fake. McIntre allegedly claimed in January that she was renting a Pacific Palisades home that was destroyed by the fire and received $25,229 in relief funds. McIntre was scheduled to make her first court appearance Friday.
One defendant — Katrina Woods, 33, of Maricopa, Ariz. — listed in her fraudulent claim a nonexistent address in Altadena that was supposedly destroyed as her primary residence, authorities said. FEMA gave Woods $23,441, which does not include the cost of two hotel stays in downtown Los Angeles and Hawthorne that she booked through the agency. As of Wednesday, Woods was in state custody for an unrelated issue, and she is expected to make her initial appearance in federal court in the coming weeks.
Other individuals have already been arrested and charged with fraud for similar claims involving the fires that authorities say are false.
Hedeshia Robertson, 36, of Lakewood, is scheduled to plead guilty on May 2 to one count of fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits after fraudulently obtaining about $24,899 from FEMA. Jaime Arturo Carrillo, 48, of South Los Angeles, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of the same charge after FEMA granted him transitional sheltering assistance amounting to over $2,000.