Cora Chantail Custard, 35, a former Houston resident, has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, resulting in a loss of approximately $620,000. She will also serve three years of supervised release and must pay $621,388 in restitution. Custard pled guilty on September 17, 2024, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas.
Between March 2020 and March 2021, Custard and her accomplices submitted more than 100 fraudulent loan applications, targeting economic relief programs. She also filed false disaster relief claims with FEMA related to Hurricanes Laura and Sally, collecting about $75,000 through at least 16 fake applications. Additionally, Custard submitted over 100 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims across multiple states, resulting in approximately $200,000 in payments.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated that Custard promoted her services through social media, including Facebook, where she advertised her ability to quickly secure large sums of money.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen M. Lansden. Agencies involved in the investigation included the Department of Homeland Security-Office of Inspector General and IRS Criminal Investigation. Custard has been remanded into custody.
