Southern IL woman admits she faked flooding claim | Crime

A southern Illinois woman pled guilty to to charges of trying to defraud FEMA. 

Federal prosecutors say April D. Trexler, 32, of West Frankfort, tried to claim disaster relief benefits from the agency.

They say that in the aftermath of the wide-spread flooding in Southern Illinois in the spring and summer of 2011, Trexler submitted a false application and supporting documents to FEMA claiming that she had been forced to relocate because of the flooding and requesting relocation assistance funds from that agency. Trexler, however, had not been forced to relocate or otherwise affected by the flooding. As a result of her false submissions, Trexler fraudulently received $4597 in relocation assistance payments from FEMA.

Trexler faces up to five years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised to follow her incarceration of up to three years. Sentencing was set for March 28, at 10:30 a.m. at the United States District Courthouse in Benton.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of FEMA.