An East Hollywood man pleaded guilty Tuesday to having fraudulently obtained over $64,000 in federal disaster-relief funds by falsely claiming his property was damaged in the wildfires that struck Los Angeles County in January.
Delvonne Johnson, 31, entered his plea in downtown Los Angeles to a charge of fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits, a felony carrying a possible sentence of up to 30 years behind bars, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Sentencing was scheduled for Nov. 14.
Victims of the Eaton and Palisades fires, including renters who lost their residences, could qualify for a one-time payment of $750 noted as a Federal Emergency Management Agency relief payment, $43,600 for other assistance and housing for up to 18 months at varying rates. Homeowners are also potentially eligible for additional relief up to $43,600 for home repair.
Johnson submitted a fraudulent claim for FEMA benefits related to the Palisades fire in February, listing an address in Pacific Palisades as a purported home he owned. Later that month, FEMA sent Johnson nearly $64,138 in federal disaster relief.
On April 2, law enforcement interviewed the property’s actual owner, who stated she had lived at that residence since 2015, that it was her primary residence, and she was living there at the time of the Palisades Fire, court papers show.
According to federal prosecutors, she also said she never rented the property out to anyone and did not know Johnson. The true...
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