Weather

Houston Woman Arrested For Fake Ike Claim

HOUSTON (AP) ― According to her claims for federal assistance, Phyllis Ann Taylor was one seriously unlucky Gulf Coast resident. First her Louisiana homes were damaged by hurricanes Katrina and Rita three years ago, then her Galveston house was hit by Hurricane Ike earlier this month.

The only problem with her story, according to federal prosecutors, is that it isn't true.

The 28-year-old Houston woman was indicted last week and arrested Monday on allegations that she made up those tales of being a three-time hurricane victim, prosecutors said Tuesday. It was unclear Tuesday whether Taylor had a lawyer who could comment on her case.

The indictment accuses Taylor of making at least 13 fake claims for assistance.

Federal prosecutors allege Taylor made her most recent claim Sept. 13, the day Ike made landfall in Texas as a destructive Category 2 storm. The island, about 50 miles south of Houston, suffered widespread damage during the storm, but prosecutors said Taylor never lived there.

Taylor also faces charged related to a series of claims dating to September 2005, when she said her home in a public housing project in Marerro, La., was damaged during Hurricane Katrina, a Category 3 storm blamed for nearly destroying New Orleans and causing tens of millions of dollars in damage. Prosecutors have said that residence was not damaged.

Taylor is accused of making six more claims for help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, using several different versions of her name, Social Security numbers from other people, and claiming damage to various New Orleans addresses. Some of the addresses in question don't exist.

Prosecutors also allege that Taylor filed FEMA claims seeking help after Rita. She claimed several addresses in Lake Charles, La., some of which also didn't exist, and again used various versions of her own name and different Social Security numbers, investigators said.

According to the indictment, Taylor is charged with disaster-assistance fraud for the Ike claim. She is charged with eight counts of mail fraud and seven counts of aggravated identity theft related to the Katrina and Rita claims.

If convicted, she could face more than 30 years in prison.

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