There are many ways to hide illicitly gained money. Bury it in the backyard. Hide it under a mattress. Or like Newton Ifiorite Jemide, hide it in a suitcase. And then high tail it out of town. Jemide allegedly went to great lengths to hide his fraudulently obtained gains. But that didn’t stop the United States who were able to extrude Jemide from France and charge him in a scheme that stole more than $8 million in federal assistance intended for hurricane and wildfire disaster victims.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is responsible for providing emergency benefits and damage compensation to victims who were affected by declared national emergency disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires. An individual in an area affected by a national disaster is immediately eligible for “Critical Needs Assistance” (CNA) to purchase lifesaving or life sustaining materials. Water, food, first aid. Even infant formula. Lifesaving and life sustaining items that meet our immediate needs. The assistance is paid to the victim in a manner of his/her choosing, including deposits onto pre-paid debit cards.
According to the two-count indictment, from 2016 through 2018 Jemide’s allegedly registered with Green Dot, using the stolen personal information of identity theft victims from around the country. Amidst the declared emergency disasters of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, and the California wildfires, Jemide allegedly applied online with FEMA for CNA using those stolen identities. As a result of those fraudulently filed claims, FEMA paid at least $8 million to the Green Dot debit cards that Jemide registered for.
Federal prosecutors said that Jemide’s actions didn’t stop with FEMA. He and his co-conspirators used people’s identities to claim Social Security Benefits and IRS tax refunds, among others.
Shout out to the Federal Emergency Management Agency Disaster relief fraud is a major problem in the country. FEMA reminds people to be vigilant against the scam and warn that con artists will portray themselves as government officials to gather personal information and use the stolen identities to apply for assistance.
Today’s Fraud of The Day is based on article “Feds extradite man for plot to steal $8 million in FEMA disaster assistance” published by USA TODAY on September 20, 2024.
A Nigerian man was extradited to the U.S. from France on charges related to a scam that stole more than $8 million in federal assistance intended for hurricane and wildfire disaster victims, the Justice Department announced.
A grand jury indicted Newton Ofioritse Jemide in 2019 for wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies in a widespread scheme to steal disaster assistance from victims of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria as well as the California wildfires, according to court records.
