Five people have been arrested for allegedly filing false claims that their property was damaged in the January Los Angeles wildfires released Friday.
Defendants whose lawsuits are not linked to each other were able to fraudulently raise 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 massive disasters and emergency benefits, each facing up to 30 years in federal prisons.
Four of the five defendants are from LA County, and those individuals were arrested Thursday. One of the accused was 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 more than 33,817 people, impacting what officials warn about it as the most expensive disaster in modern history. FEMA grants do not need to be repaid and can be used to cover rental assistance, temporary homes, home repairs, property losses, and other disaster-related needs that are not covered by insurance.
Diana Hogan, 32, of Compton, filed a claim in January and reported damages to the Palisade home in the Pacific Ocean, where she allegedly rented, authorities said. She received $17,351 from FEMA. The true owner of the house later confirmed that the property was not leased to law enforcement. Hogan was released on a $10,000 bond after appearing in the first court on Thursday. Her arrest is scheduled for May 20th.
Authorities say Delvonne Dashen Johnson, 31, of East Hollywood, has filed the allegations of the Palisades in the Pacific, owned by another person. The agency sent Johnson about $64,138 in the federal relief fund based on his fraudulent February claim. When the true homeowner later filed the claim, she informed the authorities that she had been notified by FEMA that someone else had already filed a claim for her property. Johnson was scheduled to appear in his first court on Friday.
Keandre Lowe, 21, of Long Beach, allegedly claimed to be renting a home in Altadena that was damaged in the fire. Authorities say the true homeowner has lived there since 2007 and has never rented the property. Lowe received $28,286 from FEMA after filing a fraudulent claim in January. Lowe was released on a $10,000 bond after appearing in court Thursday, and his arrest is scheduled for May 27th.
Zenarin McIntle, 38, of Sherman Oaks, is accused of filing documents to strengthen fraudulent claims, including a California driver’s license that lists Sherman Oaks’ addresses. McIntre is said to have rented a Palisade home in the Pacific that was destroyed in the fire in January and claimed it received $25,229 in relief funds. McIntre was scheduled to appear in her first courtroom on Friday.
One defendant – Katrina Woods, 33, of Maricopa, Arizona – is listed in her con man’s allegations. FEMA gave Woods $23,441. This does not include the cost of staying in two hotels in Downtown Los Angeles and Hawthorn. As of Wednesday, Woods was in state custody for unrelated matters, and she is expected to make her first appearance in federal court in the coming weeks.
Other individuals have already been arrested and have been charged with fraud on similar claims, including fires that authorities say are false.
Hedeshia Robertson, 36, of Lakewood, is due to admitting one count of fraud in connection with a major disaster or emergency benefit on May 2nd after fraudulently obtaining about $24,899 from FEMA. Jaime Arturocarillo, 48, of South Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to one count of the same charges Wednesday after FEMA granted more than $2,000 in transition assistance.
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