A 50-year-old man from Port Arthur, Texas, has been found guilty of defrauding the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after Hurricane Harvey ravaged the region in 2017.
José Luis Carrillo pleaded guilty to fraud in relation to a major disaster or emergency benefits before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith F. Giblin in the Eastern District of Texas.
According to court documents, Hurricane Harvey made landfall in southeast Texas in August 2017, causing extensive damage to the region. On September 21, 2017, Carrillo applied for assistance from FEMA for a damaged dwelling located on Luis Drive in Port Arthur.
Carrillo claimed that he owned the damaged dwelling and that it was his primary residence. He received a total of $23,619.70 in FEMA assistance for rental expenses and home repairs, but an investigation later revealed that the actual residents of the residence had lived at the location from July 2017 until they moved out at the end of August 2017, after Hurricane Harvey struck.
An investigation by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General found that Carrillo had fraudulently represented the home as his primary residence to obtain FEMA funds.
“Defrauding federal programs is always an egregious act,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “Disaster relief fraud is even more serious because of the limited nature of the funds intended to assist people in their time of greatest need.”
Carrillo faces up to 30 years in federal prison for his crimes. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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