US Edition
Woman indicted for FEMA fraud after Hurricane Helene
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA, AUG 8 – Peggy Cantrell received over $30,600 in FEMA aid by falsely claiming damage to a non-existent home after Hurricane Helene, investigators said.
- Peggy Lee Cantrell, 40, was federally indicted in Asheville for submitting a fraudulent FEMA claim after Hurricane Helene in September 2024.
- In February 2025, Cantrell submitted a disaster assistance claim to FEMA for a residence she said was her main home, located on Beaver Creek Road.
- Officials found that no residence was present at the reported location during Helene's impact, and Cantrell was residing in Wake County, outside the storm-affected region.
- On March 12, 2025, FEMA transferred $30,631.59 into a bank account in California following Cantrell's submission of a handwritten letter affirming that the details she provided were accurate.
- Cantrell could be sentenced to as many as 32 years behind bars if found guilty of defrauding federal disaster aid and committing identity theft, with prosecutors dedicated to vigorously pursuing such offenses.
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Total News Sources13
Leaning Left2Leaning Right0Center9Last UpdatedBias Distribution82% Center
Bias Distribution
- 82% of the sources are Center
82% Center
L 18%
C 82%
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