Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Shelby Sigler (34, New Port Richey) with fraud in connection with a major disaster or emergency benefits. If convicted, Sigler faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, between November 2023 and January 2024, Sigler knowingly made false and fraudulent statements and representations to obtain money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) when submitting an application for assistance from FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program as a result of Hurricane Idalia.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General with assistance from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement related to any man-made or natural disaster can report it by visiting the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www. justice. gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.