Former Brooklyn assemblywoman pleads guilty to Superstorm Sandy fraud
Pamela Harris allegedly defrauded FEMA out of $25K by falsely claiming she had been forced out of her damaged residence.
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Former New York State Assemblywoman Pamela Harris has pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, one count of making false statements to the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), and one count of witness tampering. The proceeding was held before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy in federal court in Brooklyn.
Related: Man charged with defrauding FEMA of over $250K
Harris was arrested on January 9, 2018 and resigned from her position in the New York State Assembly on April 2, 2018.
Fake lease agreement, bogus rent payment receipts
According to prosecutors, between 2012 and 2014, Harris defrauded FEMA out of nearly $25,000 by falsely claiming that she had been forced out of her storm-damaged residence and into a temporary residence in Staten Island after Superstorm Sandy. To support her claim for Sandy funds, she submitted to FEMA fake lease agreements that she had purportedly entered into with the landlord of the Staten Island residence, as well as bogus rent payment receipts.
In reality, the government said, Harris continued to live at her Coney Island residence and pocketed the FEMA payments.
Defrauded NYC Council
The government added that, between August 2014 and July 2015, Harris, who was at the time the executive director of a not-for-profit organization located in Brooklyn, also defrauded the New York City Council of $22,800 in discretionary funding by falsely claiming that the not-for-profit would use the funds to rent a studio space.
As part of her scheme, Harris submitted to the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, the government entity responsible for administering and disbursing the city council’s discretionary funds, a forged lease agreement. After the not-for-profit received the funding, Harris diverted the funds to her personal checking account and used the money to pay for personal expenses, according to prosecutors.
Related: Superstorm Sandy scammer arrested, charged
The following year, between approximately July 2015 and January 2017, when Harris was a sitting member of the New York State Assembly, she defrauded the New York City Council by claiming that funds for the not-for-profit would be spent on rental space. After the funds were disbursed to the not-for-profit, Harris diverted an additional $22,800 for her personal use, the government said.
Pressured witnesses to lie to FBI agents
During her guilty plea, Harris admitted that she pressured witnesses to lie to FBI agents conducting the grand jury investigation into her fraudulent schemes.
When sentenced, Harris faces a maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment on the charge relating to making false statements to FEMA and a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on each of the wire fraud and witness tampering counts.
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Steven A. Meyerowitz, Esq., (smeyerowitz@meyerowitzcommunications.com) is director of FC&S Legal, editor-in-chief of Insurance Coverage Law Report, and founder and president of Meyerowitz Communications Inc.