Montco Woman Stole $1.5 Million In FEMA Hurricane Relief: Feds

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — A Montgomery County woman has been charged in federal court after officials said she stole $1.5 million from FEMA after lying that she would help local victims of Hurricane Ida.

Jasmine Williams, 33, was charged with fraud related to a major disaster declaration and 24 counts of wire fraud.

The incident occurred back in Sept. 2021 after a disaster was declared in the wake of Ida, allowing the federal government to provide emergency financial assistance to victims whose homes were damaged.

Williams "recruited" victims over social media, claiming she could help them to apply for FEMA benefits, the U.S. Attorney's Office found.

She submitted fraudulent documents on behalf of dozens of actual victims of the hurricane, creating fake leases, utility bills, letters from landlords, and home repair estimates, officials said.

In exchange for "helping" the victims, she took half of the money they received for herself, for a total of $1.5 million in stolen funds, according to the US Attorney.

Williams faces 960 years behind bars if she receives the maximum possible sentence.

A preliminary hearing is forthcoming.

FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security partnered on the investigation, which is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth Mandelbaum and S. Chandler Harris.