Sacramento Police have arrested a woman who received over $1,700 from the Sacramento chapter of the American Red Cross after fraudulently claiming she was a Hurricane Katrina victim.
Cynthia Caldwell, 48, is in custody at the Sacramento County Jail on a parole violation and a felony fraud charge. Detectives said Caldwell, who has several prior convictions for theft and elder abuse crimes, contacted the American Red Cross Sacramento Chapter and claimed to be a Katrina survivor seeking assistance.
The Red Cross gave Caldwell a pre-paid Master Card worth $965. The organization also pre-paid $771 for Caldwell's room at the area's designated Hurricane Katrina relief hotel, the Days Inn on Orange Grove Avenue in North Highlands. Currently, 11 families who lost their homes to hurricane are living at that hotel.
Investigators said Caldwell, who has never lived in Louisiana, gave the aid organization an address in New Orleans where she said she had been living prior to the hurricane. That address turned out to be an empty lot that hadn't been a residence since 1991.
Red Cross officials have since discovered that that particular address has been used by several people attempting to pass themselves off as Katrina survivors to collect Red Cross aid, Sacramento Police Sgt. Justin Risley said.
Risley said Caldwell came to the attention of Sacramento Police detectives three weeks ago after a call to Crime Alert implicated Caldwell. Members of the department's Financial Crimes unit recognized Caldwell's name and began the investigation, Risley said.
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Original
Hopefully gets a long jail sentence.
Cynthia Caldwell, 48, is in custody at the Sacramento County Jail on a parole violation and a felony fraud charge. Detectives said Caldwell, who has several prior convictions for theft and elder abuse crimes, contacted the American Red Cross Sacramento Chapter and claimed to be a Katrina survivor seeking assistance.
The Red Cross gave Caldwell a pre-paid Master Card worth $965. The organization also pre-paid $771 for Caldwell's room at the area's designated Hurricane Katrina relief hotel, the Days Inn on Orange Grove Avenue in North Highlands. Currently, 11 families who lost their homes to hurricane are living at that hotel.
Investigators said Caldwell, who has never lived in Louisiana, gave the aid organization an address in New Orleans where she said she had been living prior to the hurricane. That address turned out to be an empty lot that hadn't been a residence since 1991.
Red Cross officials have since discovered that that particular address has been used by several people attempting to pass themselves off as Katrina survivors to collect Red Cross aid, Sacramento Police Sgt. Justin Risley said.
Risley said Caldwell came to the attention of Sacramento Police detectives three weeks ago after a call to Crime Alert implicated Caldwell. Members of the department's Financial Crimes unit recognized Caldwell's name and began the investigation, Risley said.
___________________________________________________________________________
Original
Hopefully gets a long jail sentence.
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