Three individuals have been arrested for allegedly defrauding FEMA by claiming their properties were devastated in the Eaton and Palisades wildfires. Joyce Turner, Tyrone D. Barnes Jr., and Hedeshia Robertson face charges for submitting false applications to obtain federal disaster-relief funds, totaling tens of thousands of dollars. The wildfires had a major impact, destroying over 16,000 structures and claiming 29 lives. Federal officials highlight the importance of ensuring that relief funds go to genuine victims rather than fraudsters who exploit the system.
These false claims resulted in badly needed disaster-relief money being denied to actual wildfire victims while these defendants allegedly used property information to illegally line their own pockets.
Turner allegedly submitted an application on Jan. 9 claiming that a Pasadena rental property on Walnut Street had been damaged in the Eaton fire.
The defendants allegedly took advantage of a FEMA program created in the wake of the Eaton and Palisades fires, disasters that began tearing through the state in early January.
Barnes and Robertson's public defender did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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