United States Attorney David Metcalf announced on September 16th that 34-year-old Jasmine Williams of Plymouth Meeting, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge the prior day to one count of fraud related to a major disaster declaration, 24 counts of wire fraud, and seven counts of mail fraud, arising from a scheme to defraud the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) in the wake of Hurricane Ida. Williams was charged in April 2024.

From the announcement:

As presented in court filings, in September 2021, President Joseph R. Biden issued a major disaster declaration for much of the eastern part of Pennsylvania, after the remnants of Hurricane Ida struck the Commonwealth. This declaration authorized FEMA to provide financial assistance to residents whose homes and properties were damaged by the hurricane.

As further detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, Williams recruited others over social media, advertising that she could assist them in applying for FEMA benefits. Williams then submitted fraudulent documents to FEMA on behalf of dozens of others, including fraudulent leases, letters from landlords, utility bills, earning statements, and home repair estimates. In exchange, Williams collected half of the payout for herself. In total, the government calculates that FEMA paid over $1,500,000 in assistance based on false representations made by Williams.

Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on January 12, 2026.

This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, with assistance from FEMA Fraud Prevention and Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth Mandelbaum and S. Chandler Harris.