As the nation prepares to mark the fifth anniversary since Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, a woman with ties to San Diego is in custody -- accused of posing as a storm victim in order to collect thousands of federal dollars.
The U.S. Attorney's office in San Diego teamed up with the National Center for Disaster Fraud. It’s a nationwide initiative to protect real victims of Hurricane Katrina. Something federal prosecutors say Cynthia Magee, 43, is not.
Investigators say shortly after Hurricane Katrina made landfall five years ago Magee submitted a claim to FEMA, claiming she was living in New Orleans at the time.
It turns out she was right here in San Diego.
FEMA paid Magee $14,000 and it didn't stop there.
The indictment also alleges that following Katrina, Magee traveled throughout the Gulf Coast region collecting Red Cross debit cards by falsely claiming to reside in New Orleans and Mississippi.
Nearly five years later, Magee is back in San Diego, this time facing a judge. She is expected to make her initial court appearance next week.
If convicted, Magee faces up to 5 years in prison.
