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2h ago

L.A. County DA Charges 3 With FEMA Wildfire Relief Fraud

The DA's Cyber Crime Division is pursuing active cases that could bring state prison terms.

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A man leaves the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center on Woodbury Rd. in Altadena on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (File photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Overview

  • Prosecutors identified the defendants as Jerry Lee Clay Jr., Matthew Garnet O’Brien and Maricka Marie Gilmore in an alleged scheme tied to Eaton and Pacific Palisades wildfire relief.
  • Investigators allege the trio filed fraudulent FEMA applications using fake Los Angeles-area addresses and nonexistent apartment numbers, with Clay also accused of impersonating landlords.
  • Officials say Clay received $14,919.30, O’Brien $12,314.52 and Gilmore $14,153.67, totaling about $40,000 in disaster assistance.
  • Clay was arrested Sept. 14, pleaded not guilty and was released on $50,000 bond; O’Brien surrendered Sept. 25 and was released on his own recognizance with arraignment set for Nov. 25; Gilmore was extradited Sept. 23 and remains held on $50,000 bail.
  • The cases remain under investigation, are being handled by the DA’s Cyber Crime Division and carry potential state prison terms of up to four years and four months for Clay and three years for O’Brien and Gilmore if convicted.