Free Hotels, Loads Of Cash: How Prosecutors Say Fake LA Fire Victims Bilked FEMA

LOS ANGELES, CA — Seven people are facing federal charges in connection to accusations they fraudulently applied for government aid following January's wildfires. In several cases, the defendants claimed their homes were destroyed by the Palisades or Eaton fires — even though they lived as far away as Arizona, according to prosecutors.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency made financial assistance available to those impacted by the Palisades and Eaton fires, including immediate $750 payments — and grants for much larger amounts. Residents could qualify for up to $43,600 for personal items, transportation, medical needs and housing, and homeowners qualified for up to $43,600 to repair their homes.

Four people were recently charged with defrauding those programs, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office:

Deanniah Hogan, 32, of Compton, is accused of filing for FEMA assistance using a Pacific Palisades address, claiming that she lived there. FEMA approved her application and sent $17,351 to Hogan. But the actual homeowner who lived at that address — and lost property in the fire — later confirmed to law enforcement the property was not being rented at the time, prosecutors said.

Delvonne Dashon Johnson, 31, of East Hollywood, is accused of filing for FEMA assistance using a Pacific Palisades address, claiming he owned a property impacted by the fire. FEMA approved his application and send him $64,138, prosecutors said.

Law enforcement later interviewed the actual property owner, who said when she tried to file a claim for aid for her home — which was her primary residence and was destroyed in the fire — FEMA informed her someone else had already filed a claim on the property's behalf, prosecutors said.

Keandre Lowe, 21, of Long Beach, is accused of filing for FEMA assistance, claiming he rented an Altadena property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire. He was awarded $28,286 in disaster relief, prosecutors said.

The actual property owner later confirmed to law enforcement they were living in the home at the time, prosecutors said.

Zenalyn McIntre, 38, of Sherman Oaks, is accused of filing for FEMA assistance, claiming she rented a Pacific Palisades property that was destroyed in the fire. In her application, she used her driver's license (which listed a Sherman Oaks address) and a utility bill that prosecutors believe was fake, authorities said.

She was awarded $25,229 in disaster relief, prosecutors said.

Those defendants made their initial court appearances last week and are scheduled to be arraigned at future dates.

There are also two other defendants who have already admitted to wildfire aid-related fraud.

Katrina Woods, 33, of Maricopa, Arizona, is accused of filing for FEMA aid using a nonexistent Altadena address, which she claimed was destroyed in the fire. FEMA awarded her $23,441 and also paid for her to stay at Los Angeles County hotels in February and March, prosecutors said.

Another defendant arrested last month, Hedeshia Robertson, 36, of Lakewood, is scheduled to plead guilty to a fraud charge Friday. Shea admitted in her plea agreement that she filed a fraudulent FEMA aid application for a property she neither rented nor owned and obtained $24,899 in FEMA benefits, prosecutors said.

Another defendant, Jaime Arturo Carrillo, 48, of South Los Angeles, pleaded guilty last week to one count of fraud. He falsely claimed a South Los Angeles rental property had suffered damage and utility disruption — despite the fact the property was 20 miles away from any wildfire and he was not renting the residence, prosecutors said.

FEMA provided Carrillo 13 nights stay at two LA County hotels, prosecutors said.