Director of CBP Center of Excellence and Expertise Charged With Defrauding FEMA
Serina Baker-Hill, director of CBP's Automotive and Aerospace Center of Excellence and Expertise in Detroit, has been charged in an indictment unsealed on March 12 with defrauding the Federal Emergency Management Agency, making false statements to federal agents and committing wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan announced.
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Baker-Hill, a career CBP employee, requested and received assistance from FEMA after a series of floods in the Detroit area in August 2023 after claiming there to be damage to the basement of her home. Baker-Hill allegedly said she wasn't able to live safely in the home while repairs were ongoing. FEMA provided benefits to exclusively aid with home repairs and rental assistance.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said, according to Baker-Hill's bank records, none of the benefits were used for their intended purpose, and that video surveillance of Baker-Hill's home showed that she and her husband continued to live in the home after receiving the funds from FEMA. The scheme was uncovered following a wiretap that was placed on Baker-Hill to identify her involvement in her husband's alleged narcotics trafficking.