Three individuals from Southern California and Texas were recently apprehended and charged with attempting to defraud the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California. They are accused of filing deceitful claims for disaster relief aid, in the aftermath of the devastating Eaton and Palisades wildfires, by leveraging property information they had no legitimate ties to.
Acting US Attorney Joseph McNally said, "These defendants allegedly made false and fraudulent claims to FEMA for emergency benefits related to wildfires that devastated Los Angeles County two months ago," as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California. This misuse of emergency aid resulted not only in funds being diverted from genuine victims, but also lined the pockets of those exploiting the system. Special Agent in Charge of DHS OIG, Los Angeles Field Office, Matthew Brackett, echoed the sentiment, affirming their commitment to protecting the integrity of government assistance programs.
Two of the defendants, Tyrone D. Barnes Jr. and Hedeshia Robertson, were charged with submitting fraudulent disaster relief claims for properties that they neither owned nor resided at. The third defendant, Joyce Turner, had allegedly fabricated an application for a residence supposedly destroyed in the Eaton fire despite having no proven connection to the California address, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California.
During their operation, the three defendants received substantial funds—Robertson obtaining approximately $24,899, and Turner more than $25,000 due to their criminal actions. The charge of fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits carries a significant weight, potentially resulting in up to 30 years in federal prison. The charge of making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent claim against the United States carries a maximum sentence of five years, respectively.
Public Information Officer Ciaran McEvoy provided case updates and outlined next steps. Law enforcement agencies, including HSI’s El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force and the IRS Criminal Investigation Unit, are collaborating to uphold the law. As Los Angeles rebuilds, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry L. Quinn leads the prosecution to hold those exploiting disaster aid accountable.
