CBP director faces charges for allegedly defrauding FEMA and lying to feds

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) manager successful Michigan has been accused of moving a strategy to defraud the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) aft a bid of floods damaged her location successful 2023.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) unsealed a transgression ailment against 55-year-old Serina Baker-Hill connected Wednesday, charging her with engaging successful a strategy to defraud FEMA and lying to national agents.

Baker-Hill is simply a vocation worker with CBP and serves arsenic manager of CBP’s Center for Excellence and Expertise implicit Automotive and Aerospace Engineering.

"Following efforts with our interagency partners, I tin study that a vocation Director level worker astatine US Customs and Border Protection has been charged with allegedly attempting to defraud FEMA, arsenic good arsenic lying to national agents," FBI Director Kash Patel said successful a station connected X. 

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"This is portion of the caller FBI’s renewed efforts to ace down connected nationalist corruption and present accountability for the American people. Justice volition beryllium done. Thanks to our partners @AGPamBondi @TheJusticeDept and our @FBIDetroit squad for their work."

FEMA approved Michigan’s petition for a national catastrophe declaration aft a bid of floods devastated the Detroit country successful August 2023. The catastrophe declaration allowed residents to use for FEMA assistance.

The DOJ said Baker-Hill applied for assistance aft her location was damaged by flooding, and a FEMA inspector determined determination had been harm to the basement of the house.

While the inspector was conducting the inspection, Baker-Hill allegedly said she could not safely unrecorded successful the location portion repairs were being made. So, FEMA approved benefits to assistance her wage for the repairs. She was besides provided 2 months of rental assistance, which the support missive indicated was to beryllium utilized solely to assistance Baker-Hill wage rent and indispensable inferior costs portion successful impermanent housing.

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A CBP manager successful Michigan has been accused of defrauding FEMA and lying to national agents. (CBP Field Operations/X)

Investigators reviewed Baker-Hill’s slope records and accidental they discovered that nary of the wealth was utilized for rental, edifice oregon inferior expenses.

Surveillance video from the location was besides reviewed by investigators and allegedly showed that she and her hubby continued to unrecorded successful the location aft receiving rental assistance funds from FEMA.

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Records besides did not amusement a important driblet successful utilities that were accordant with the location being unoccupied during the clip period, according to the DOJ.

Agents from the FBI and CBP Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) interviewed Baker-Hill, who denied committing a transgression oregon defrauding the U.S. government.

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The probe is ongoing. Once complete, a determination volition beryllium made connected whether to question a felony indictment.