A Pennsylvania woman who authorities say defrauded the Federal Emergency Management Agency of over $1 million following Hurricane Ida has been sentenced to prison.
Jasmine Williams, 34, of Plymouth Meeting, was sentenced to five years in prison on Wednesday by US District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge, according to the Department of Justice.
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The scheme Williams plotted involved her submitting fake documents about fraudulent leases, letters from landlords, utility bills, earning statements, and home repair estimates to FEMA on behalf of people whom she recruited over social media, according to the DOJ. This was from October 2021 through March 2023.
The DOJ reported that FEMA paid out little more than $1.7 million as a result of the false representations.
According to prosecutors, Williams wanted hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation from others. One participant did not pay Williams, so she broadcast personal information and a video in which she scolded them for failing to pay her.
In September 2021, during Hurricane Ida, former President Joe Biden declared a major disaster in much of Pennsylvania. This allowed FEMA to distribute funds to individuals whose homes and properties suffered damage or destruction due to Hurricane Ida.
