Hurricane season is here again, and Texans are hoping and praying that a major storm does not make landfall in the Lone Star State this year. Hurricane Beryl was a category 1 storm by the time it reached Texas, and that was bad enough. Even worse, Texas has been reeling from several extraordinarily destructive hurricanes in recent years. The effects of the devastating hurricane season of 2017 are still being felt. People who managed to rebuild their houses that sustained damage from hurricanes or tropical storms several years ago are still dealing with the financial fallout. Federal relief funds enable the repair and rebuilding of residences and businesses after natural disasters such as hurricanes and tropical storms.
Hurricane relief funding, as with other kinds of emergency funding, attracts requests not only from people who genuinely need it but also from those hoping to unjustly enrich themselves. If you are being accused of making false statements in order to obtain funds reserved for people suffering from financial hardship because of property damage or displacement due to a recent hurricane, contact a Texas white-collar crime lawyer.
Two Texans Face Criminal Charges for Fraudulently Obtaining Hurricane Relief Funds
A Houston man is facing criminal charges stemming from a loan he received from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) several years ago. After Hurricane Harvey devastated southeastern Texas in 2017, HUD offered home rebuilding loans to homeowners whose houses sustained more than $65,000 in property damage. This requirement was to ease the burden on homeowners insurance companies, which would typically be able to pay when the cost of repairs was less than that. The defendant applied for and received a loan for $314,000. Prosecutors allege that he made false statements on his loan application; they claim that his house did not sustain major damage in the hurricane, and he simply used the money to renovate his house even though it was already in livable condition. If convicted, he could receive a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The other case involves a Houston woman accused of falsifying information on applications for relocation funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after Hurricane Laura. The defendant allegedly posted messages on social media, offering to submit fraudulent relief funding applications on behalf of clients. FEMA paid a total of $350,000 for the fraudulent applications, distributed among eight beneficiaries. If convicted, she could receive a sentence of up to five years in prison. A possible defense in this defendant’s case could be that she reasonably believed that the information she entered on the applications was accurate. This defense can only work if her social media posts merely offer to apply for relief funds, not to submit false information in order to get relief funding.
Contact the Law Office of Patrick J. McLain, PLLC About Criminal Defense Cases
A Dallas criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are facing criminal charges related to hurricane relief funds. Contact the Law Office of Patrick J. McLain, PLLC, in Dallas, Texas, to discuss your case.