Pennsylvania Woman Sentenced to Prison in FEMA Crackdown on Disaster Assistance Fraud

The United States Department of Homeland Security said a Pennsylvania woman was sentenced to five years in prison for a scheme to defraud the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. The woman, identified in the statement as being from Plymouth Meeting, was sentenced on January 28, 2026, after pleading guilty in September to 32 charges.

The charges included 24 counts of wire fraud, seven counts of mail fraud, and one count of fraud related to a major disaster declaration. The amount involved was more than $1.7 million. The DHS statement described taking funds intended for disaster survivors as a serious crime.

Federal investigation and enforcement

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, with assistance from FEMA Fraud Prevention and Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth Mandelbaum and S. Chandler Harris prosecuted the case.

DHS said FEMA and DHS are working with the U.S. Department of Justice and federal and local partners to investigate fraud and hold offenders accountable. In Fiscal Year 2025, FEMA investigated over 1,700 fraud cases. Suspected fraud in FEMA’s Individual Assistance program is referred to the DHS Office of Inspector General and other law enforcement partners for investigation and potential prosecution, including cases involving organized criminal activity.

Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Mullin, FEMA is rooting out fraud of disaster aid,

said Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. She also said FEMA was protecting taxpayer dollars and seeking to ensure disaster assistance reached people who truly needed it.

DHS said President Trump’s Executive Order 14395 established the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, bringing federal agencies together to coordinate a national strategy against fraud, waste, and abuse in federal benefit programs. FEMA is also strengthening eligibility verification and pre-payment controls while seeking to deliver disaster assistance quickly and securely to eligible survivors.