Rena McCarter sentenced for stealing Hurricane Katrina relief funds

Photo: Wikipedia.

What actual Katrina damage looked like in New Orleans.

A couple weeks after Katrina hit in 2005, Rena McCarter, 62, told the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a.k.a. FEMA, that the storm damaged her New Orleans apartment, and she needed disaster relief for housing, food, and clothing, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

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In reality, McCarter was living in subsidized housing in Brooklyn Park when Katrina hit. McCarter filed a subsequent fraudulent application to FEMA in 2008 for relocation assistance, and was granted $1,458, bringing the total she received to $8,600.

The U.S. Attorney's Office charged McCarter with theft of public money on Oct. 2, 2012, and she pleaded guilty Oct. 26. In addition to the probation and community service, McCarter is also order to pay back the money.

Her daughter, Vianca McCarter, was also charged with stealing $34,102 in FEMA money after Katrina. Last month, Vianca was sentenced to five years probation, 100 hours of community service, and was also ordered to pay back the money.