Two individuals in Hawaii have been accused of scamming the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) out of $60,000 in disaster relief funds.
Honolulu residents Daylyn Harris, 34, and Chelsea Johnson, 32, were arrested on July 15, 2025 after a federal grand jury indicted them on seven counts of wire fraud.
According to the indictment, Harris and Johnson conspired with each other to submit false claims to FEMA for losses suffered during the Lahaina fires federal disaster in August and September 2023, and the California fires federal disaster in January 2025.
The indictment alleges that Harris falsely claimed to have resided in Lahaina, Hawaii during the Lahaina fires federal disaster and suffered losses, when in fact he did not. Johnson assisted the fraudulent claim by posing as Harris’s Maui landlord.
Johnson also allegedly submitted a false claim to FEMA in January 2025, stating that she lived in Pacific Palisades, California during the California fires federal disaster and suffered losses.
If convicted of the charged offenses, Harris and Johnson face up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each count.
The case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security – Office of the Inspector General, with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Albanese is prosecuting the case.
The indictment is merely an accusation, and Harris and Johnson are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Key Facts
- State: Hawaii
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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