A woman from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, has received a five-year prison sentence for orchestrating a fraudulent scheme that defrauded the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of nearly $1.75 million in disaster aid following Hurricane Ida. Jasmine Williams, 34, of Plymouth Meeting, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge after pleading guilty to 32 federal charges related to the fraudulent activities that took place after the storm in 2021.
The fraudulent operation began shortly after President Joseph R. Biden declared a major disaster for parts of eastern Pennsylvania, which allowed FEMA to provide financial assistance to residents whose properties were affected by the hurricane. According to court documents, Williams was charged in April 2024 with one count of fraud related to a major disaster declaration, 24 counts of wire fraud, and seven counts of mail fraud. She admitted guilt to all charges in September 2024.
In her scheme, Williams utilized social media platforms to recruit participants, claiming she could assist them in obtaining FEMA benefits. She specifically targeted a wide range of individuals, including renters, homeowners, and even the homeless. Williams submitted fraudulent applications on their behalf, using a variety of falsified documents such as fake leases, forged landlord letters, falsified utility bills, fabricated earnings statements, and bogus home repair estimates. For her services, she demanded half of any FEMA payout received.
The fraudulent scheme was not without intimidation tactics. Williams reportedly employed aggressive methods to ensure compliance, including publicly sharing personal information of participants and posting a lengthy social media video that criticized an individual for not paying her share of the proceeds.
Additionally, Williams solicited images of purportedly damaged homes online, which she then submitted to FEMA as part of her fraudulent claims. The court found that between October 2021 and March 2023, FEMA disbursed a total of $1,744,982.64 based on the false representations made by Williams.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, with support from FEMA’s Fraud Prevention and Investigations division. The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ruth Mandelbaum and S. Chandler Harris. U.S. Attorney David Metcalf emphasized the significance of this case, highlighting it as a clear example of fraud exploiting federal aid that is meant to assist genuine victims of disasters.
As the case concludes, it serves as a reminder of the serious consequences associated with fraud against government assistance programs, particularly in times of crisis.
