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Rena McCarter, Theft of Public Money, Minnesota 2012
In a shocking case of government aid abuse, a 62-year-old woman has been sentenced to three years of probation for stealing $8,600 in disaster relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier today in federal court in St. Paul, Rena McCarter, of Kenner, Louisiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Donovan W. Frank for her role in the theft. In addition to the probation, McCarter was ordered to serve 50 hours of community service and pay $8,600 in restitution.
McCarter was charged on October 2, 2012, and pleaded guilty on October 26, 2012. In her plea agreement, McCarter admitted that on September 16, 2005, she told FEMA that she resided in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, that her apartment and personal property had been damaged by the disaster, and that she needed emergency assistance for housing, food, and clothing.
However, McCarter was residing in Minnesota when Hurricane Katrina hit on August 29, 2005. In fact, McCarter lived in housing subsidized by the Minnesota Metropolitan Council from October 2004 through September 2009.
On June 23, 2008, McCarter faxed a fraudulent application to FEMA requesting disaster relocation assistance. Based on McCarter’s fraudulent application, FEMA gave her a $1,458 grant. In total, McCarter received $8,600 in disaster assistance funding from FEMA that she was not entitled to have because she did not reside in the area affected by Hurricane Katrina.
This case was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, with cooperation of the Justice Department’s Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John E. Kokkinen and Lola Velazquez-Aguilu.
McCarter’s sentence serves as a reminder of the importance of integrity and accountability in the distribution of government aid. The public has every right to expect that those who receive disaster relief funding are genuinely in need and have a legitimate claim to the assistance.
As the investigation and prosecution of Rena McCarter demonstrate, those who engage in such deceitful behavior will be held accountable for their actions.
Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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