Sun-Sentinel Investigation: FEMA

May 19, 2005

House wants criteria for FEMA aid spelled out in U.S. law

The U.S. House passed by voice vote a proposal to require FEMA to develop criteria and provide documentation for funeral assistance.

June 23, 2007

Court to FEMA: Turn over documents

The Federal Emergency Management Agency must turn over to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and other news organizations the addresses of 1.3 million disaster aid recipients, a federal appellate court in Atlanta ruled Friday.

December 22, 2005

Fix reimbursements, governor tells FEMA

Gov. Jeb Bush is pressing federal officials to stop reimbursing Floridians more than they paid for generators and storm cleanup items and said Wednesday the state may end the program next hurricane season if no changes are made.

December 31, 2005

FEMA spent more on generators than repairs

In the first seven weeks after Hurricane Wilma, $95 million in federal disaster aid went to buy Floridians generators and cleanup items, more than the government spent to fix homes damaged by the October storm.

August 12, 2005

Chief coroner warns of more FEMA waste on funeral overpayments

Despite assurances from federal officials that they will change the way they award disaster funeral assistance, taxpayer money will likely still be wasted, Florida's chief medical examiner predicted Thursday.

August 10, 2005

FEMA paid for at least 203 funerals not related to 2004 hurricanes

The federal government used hurricane aid money to pay funeral expenses for at least 203 Floridians whose deaths were not caused by last year's storms, the state's coroners have concluded.

August 6, 2005

FEMA disaster aid operations tightened after Frances

Federal officials announced sweeping changes Friday in how they verify damages and award aid to disaster victims in response to a U.S. Senate investigation into widespread fraud and waste in Miami-Dade County after Hurricane Frances last year.

June 8, 2005

Homestead women sentenced to probation for cheating FEMA

A Homestead woman who collected $24,755 in Hurricane Frances relief for a sewer backup that occurred weeks before the storm received probation under a sentence imposed Tuesday in federal court in Miami.

May 21, 2005

How FEMA disaster relief went wrong

Washington, D.C. · Inexperienced inspectors, savvy applicants and untimely operational changes led to overpayments and fraud in Miami-Dade County after Hurricane Frances, congressional investigators found.

May 19, 2005

Senate panel pledges FEMA reform after finding widespread fraud

A U.S. Senate committee found widespread fraud and waste in the federal government's payout of $31 million to Miami-Dade County residents for Hurricane Frances aid.

May 18, 2006

Articles had FEMA scrambling online

Newly released e-mails of former FEMA Director Michael Brown show top federal officials scrambling to explain millions in disaster aid going to Miami-Dade County residents for a 2004 hurricane that missed the county and coaching Brown "not to appear defensive" in responding to "ridiculous questions" from the media.

April 15, 2006

Judge's ruling a victory for newspaper

A federal judge ruled Friday that the government must make public the names of FEMA inspectors and the addresses of disaster aid recipients in a lawsuit brought by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

May 15, 2005

FEMA ruled on disaster before verifying Dade damage

As Hurricane Frances made landfall 100 miles north of Miami-Dade County last September, a top official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency declared the county a major disaster area with no evidence of damage and contrary to a presidential order, federal auditors have found.

May 14, 2005

Audit scolds FEMA over payments

Miami-Dade County residents collected Hurricane Frances aid for belongings they didn't own, temporary housing they never requested and cars worth far less than the government paid, according to a federal audit that questions millions in storm payouts.

May 17, 2005

FEMA controversy may result in tougher critieria for declaring disaster area

A South Florida member of Congress wants to require the federal government to verify damage before declaring areas a disaster, a step bypassed in Miami-Dade County last fall that led to residents collecting $31 million in aid for a hurricane that struck 100 miles away.

May 12, 2005

U.S. Senate to examine fraud, waste in FEMA storm aid

A U.S. Senate committee will have a hearing next week on allegations of waste and fraud in the federal government's disaster assistance program.

April 24, 2005

FEMA's inspectors included criminals

Government inspectors entrusted to enter disaster victims' homes and verify damage claims include criminals with records for embezzlement, drug dealing and robbery, a South Florida Sun-Sentinel investigation has found.

April 10, 2005

FEMA aid for storm paid for too many funerals, figures show

Florida officially recorded 123 fatalities from last year's hurricanes, but the federal government has paid funeral expenses for at least 315 deaths, including those of a man who shot himself and a stroke victim hospitalized more than a week before the last storm hit.

April 10, 2005

Official deaths and FEMA funerals

March 30, 2005

FEMA, insurance payouts in Miami-Dade face state review

Florida's auditor general agreed Tuesday to legislators' demands that the state scrutinize the legitimacy of insurance and federal disaster aid payments in Miami-Dade County and possibly other parts of the state.

March 23, 2005

State records show Bush re-election concerns played part in FEMA aid

As the second hurricane in less than a month bore down on Florida last fall, a federal consultant predicted a "huge mess" that could reflect poorly on President Bush and suggested that his re-election staff be brought in to minimize any political liability, records show.

March 10, 2005

Sun-Sentinel sues for release of FEMA records on hurricane aid

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday to force the release of government records on the distribution of millions in disaster aid following last year's four hurricanes.

March 3, 2005

Defendants facing charges in FEMA scandal

Here are the people who appeared in U.S. District Court in Miami on Wednesday, charged with various counts of wire and mail fraud and filing false claims with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to the indictments and statements made in court:

March 4, 2005

Details of fraudulent FEMA claims

The 14 Miami-Dade residents indicted Wednesday allegedly made false claims to collect a total of $156,354 in disaster aid. Federal records show that inspectors for the Federal Emergency Management Agency signed off on tens of thousands of dollars in claims for clothing, furniture, appliances, rental assistance and cars. Recipients of the most aid are:

March 4, 2005

Records detail how FEMA was cheated on hurricane claims

Miranda Woodard moved out of her south Miami-Dade County home before Hurricane Frances hit last fall but still collected $12,359 from the federal government for damages she claimed at her former address, authorities say.

February 13, 2005

FEMA director defends funds to Miami-Dade

Thousands of Miami-Dade County residents who have collected almost $31 million in Hurricane Frances relief deserve not scorn but pity, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday.

February 13, 2005

Complaints of FEMA aid fraud stymied by ‘runaround’

From Miami to Winter Haven to Starke, Floridians have accused their neighbors, colleagues and even their own relatives of taking advantage of the hurricanes by collecting disaster assistance they didn't deserve.

December 19, 2004

FEMA payout scrutiny spreads to other states

From Mobile, Ala., to Detroit to rural eastern North Carolina, the federal government has approved millions in assistance to areas largely unaffected by disasters, even after local officials warned of possible fraud.

December 14, 2004

FEMA declares 22 more counties eligible for Ivan aid, despite little damage

Hurricane Ivan slammed ashore in Alabama in mid-September, but Floridians as far away as Palm Beach County -- 675 miles from the storm's landfall -- can now collect disaster aid from the federal government.

December 12, 2004

Miami-Dade told officials that losses were minor but FEMA aid flowed anyway

Federal officials knew as early as two days after Hurricane Frances that the Labor Day storm had left little damage in Miami-Dade County.

December 5, 2004

Suspicions don't slow Miami-Dade storm relief

For two months, elected leaders from Tallahassee to Washington have demanded investigations while expressing outrage that Miami-Dade County residents may have fraudulently collected millions in Hurricane Frances aid.

December 4, 2004

Officials expect arrests in Miami-Dade FEMA claims

Federal authorities pursuing fraud allegations anticipate arrests by the end of the year in Miami-Dade County, where residents have collected millions in disaster assistance for Hurricane Frances, an official in charge of the investigation said Friday.

December 2, 2004

Legislators call for investigation into 'hurricane aid' in Miami-Dade

Four Florida members of Congress called Wednesday for an investigation into federal hurricane aid distribution, while state legislators are considering legislation to increase penalties for falsifying disaster applications.

November 24, 2004

Legislators urge FEMA inquiry over Miami-Dade payments

Florida lawmakers Tuesday called for state and federal investigations into how the government approved about $28 million in Hurricane Frances claims for new furniture, clothes and appliances for residents of Miami-Dade County, which was barely touched by the storm.

October 15, 2004

FEMA director says agency looking into Miami-Dade claims

As Hurricane Frances moved ashore over the Treasure Coast last month, the federal government declared Miami-Dade County a disaster area eligible for individual aid even though the storm's outer bands barely had touched the county.

October 21, 2004

State to pay $60 million share of hurricane aid

The state will pay more than $60 million as its share of federal hurricane assistance to Floridians but has no control over how the money is spent or who gets it.

October 31, 2004

Training for FEMA inspectors often brief

With an investment of eight hours one Monday in early October, Johanna Hadik of Margate got a badge and the next day was out inspecting hurricane damage for the federal government.

November 21, 2004

Miami-Dade cleans up on FEMA aid

Government aid for Hurricane Frances bought Miami-Dade County residents rooms full of furniture, new wardrobes and thousands of appliances, including microwaves, refrigerators and sewing machines, even though the brunt of the storm missed the county.

November 21, 2004

Smart shoppers come out fine with FEMA aid FEMA's rather generous with reimbursements

HIALEAH · At BrandsMart USA, a low-end model Magic Chef microwave costs $28.88.

November 21, 2004

HURRICANE FRANCES RELIEF

As of Oct. 18, FEMA had awarded $24.4 million in Hurricane Frances relief to residents of Miami-Dade County. The government gave:

November 11, 2004

FEMA inspectors will face review of hurricane-damage claims

ORLANDO -- As nearly $1 billion in hurricane relief pours into Florida, federal auditors will begin a two-year inquiry this week into whether 3,000 inspectors properly verified damage claims and the Federal Emergency Management Agency provided sufficient oversight.

October 10, 2004

FEMA gave $21 million in Miami-Dade, where storms were 'like a severe thunderstorm'

The four hurricanes that pummeled the rest of Florida hardly brushed Miami-Dade County. Only Hurricane Frances was a factor there -- packing the punch of a bad thunderstorm.

October 12, 2004

Probe sought into questionable aid to Miami-Dade 'hurricane victims'

Three Florida members of Congress on Monday called for investigations into how the federal government awards disaster aid and why at least 9,800 Miami-Dade applicants have received more than $21 million in Hurricane Frances assistance even though the storm inflicted little damage in the county.

October 17, 2004

Miami-Dade FEMA claims high in poor areas

HOMESTEAD -- The manager of a check-cashing store in this southern Miami-Dade city says he has cashed as many as 30 disaster relief checks a day for residents since Hurricane Frances hit Florida on Labor Day weekend.

March 3, 2005

14 in Miami-Dade indicted in FEMA fraud scandal

Federal authorities charged 14 Miami-Dade County residents with fraud Wednesday for claiming damage from Hurricane Frances to collect disaster assistance.