A Voorhees New Jersey woman recently entered a guilty plea on fraud charges related to the theft of more than $20,000 in Hurricane Sandy relief funds.
According to law enforcement, the suspect told federal authorities that she needed the Hurricane Sandy disaster funding to cover relocation and transportation costs because her Ocean City NJ residence was damaged.
The suspect submitted a claim through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and sought financial assistance. However, said federal prosecutors, the suspect’s claims were fraudulent because she did not have a primary residence in Ocean City; her primary place of residence was in Voorhees Township, which is located in Camden County, New Jersey.
In total, the suspect allegedly stole $20,873 from FEMA: $13,373 for housing assistance and $7,500 for transportation assistance.
Now the 53-year-old suspect could be in store for a stiff punishment after she pleaded guilty to criminal charges of committing disaster benefits fraud.
The suspect will need to appear in U.S. District Court in June 2016 so that she can be sentenced. The maximum penalty in the case is 30 years in federal prison, as well as a $250K fine.
For additional information about this case, access the NJ.com article, “N.J. Woman Admits Fraudulently Taking Hurricane Sandy Aid.”