Customs employee accused of scheme to defraud FEMA
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employee was accused of a scheme to defraud the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a Wednesday release.
According to the release, Serina Baker-Hill, of Detroit, was charged with allegedly attempting to defraud FEMA and lying to federal agents.
Baker-Hill, 55, was a career employee of the agency and was the director of its Center for Excellence and Expertise over Automative and Aerospace Engineering.
After the Detroit area experienced a series of floods in Aug. 2023, Baker-Hill applied for FEMA assistance related to flood damage. A FEMA employee determined there was damage to Baker-Hill’s basement.
She allegedly informed the inspector that she would not be able to live in the home while repairs were made and the agency approved the costs of the repair and two months of rental assistance.
“The approval letter from FEMA indicated that the rental assistance money was to be used solely to help Baker-Hill pay rent and essential utility costs while she was in temporary housing,” the DOJ said.
However, according to Baker-Hill’s bank records, none of the money was used for its intended purposes. She and her husband continued to live in their home, despite receiving the assistance, video surveillance and utility costs showed, the DOJ alleged.
Baker-Hill told the FBI that she did not commit an illegal action and did not defraud the U.S. government.
She was arrested and later released on bond, a spokesperson told The New York Times.
The DOJ noted that the charge is not evidence of guilt, and no trial will be held over the complaint. A determination will be made about a felony indictment after the investigation is complete.
FBI Director Kash Patel celebrated the investigation as part of the agency’s “renewed efforts to crack down on public corruption and deliver accountability for the American people.”
“Justice will be done,” he said, thanking the FBI’s partners in the case.
Customs said in a statement that the agency will cooperate with the investigation of Baker-Hill and noted she would be placed on administrative leave without pay pending the outcome of the case.
"CBP stresses honor and integrity in our mission, and the overwhelming majority of CBP employees and officers perform their duties with honor and distinction, working tirelessly every day to keep our country safe," a CBP spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill.
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