LOS ANGELES, California – A Rosharon woman pleaded guilty Monday to fraudulently obtaining more than $28,000 in federal disaster relief funds by falsely claiming she lived in a property damaged by a wildfire in California.
Joyce Turner, 57, plead guilty in federal court to one count of fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits and one count of mail fraud.
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On Jan. 10, 2025, Turner submitted a fraudulent disaster benefits application to FEMA, falsely claiming she lived in a Pasadena, California rental property that had been damaged in the Eaton Fire, according to the US Department of Justice.
The fire itself happened on Jan. 7, burning through a residential area in Los Angeles County, killing 18 people and destroying more than 10,000 structures. A presidential disaster declaration was issued on Jan. 8, making emergency financial assistance and benefits available to those affected by the fire.
Authorities say Turner did not in fact live in California and did not qualify for benefits but received $28,195 from FEMA through her claim.
In her plea agreement, Turner further admitted that in Aug. 2020, she submitted a fraudulent claim for California unemployment insurance falsely claiming she had been working in the state and lost work because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the false claim, California’s Employment Development Department sent Turner $54,360 in jobless benefits, which she was not entitled to. The benefits were provided through a debit card mailed to Turner at an address in Los Angeles.
A Jan. 26, 2026 sentencing hearing has been scheduled. At that time, Turner will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for the disaster benefits fraud count and up to 20 years in federal prison for the mail fraud count.
As of this writing, Turner remains free on bond.