Prosecutors say a Long Beach man who falsely claimed to rent a home in Altadena was among five people arrested last week for allegedly defrauding FEMA to get disaster relief after the Los Angeles County wildfires.

The fires, which started on Jan. 7, scorched nearly 60,000 acres, destroyed more than 16,000 structures and killed 30 people in Altadena and Pacific Palisades. The devastation spurred a disaster declaration approved by President Joe Biden that qualified victims of the Eaton and Palisades fires — including renters who lost their homes — for a one-time payment of $750 along with up to $43,600 in other assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Prosecutors say 21-year-old Keandre Lowe, of Long Beach, submitted a claim on Jan. 22 saying he rented an Altadena property that was destroyed in the Eaton Fire.

By Feb. 13, FEMA had given Lowe $28,286 in disaster relief, but the actual property owner later told law enforcement that he had not rented out the residence since 2007, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Los Angeles.

Lowe was arrested Thursday and made his first court appearance, where a federal magistrate judge ordered him released on $10,000 bond, prosecutors said.

He is due back for arraignment on May 27, where he was expected to be charged with fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Another defendant arrested in March, Hedeshia Robertson, 36, of Lakewood, is expected to plead guilty on Friday to one count of fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits.

Robertson admitted in her plea agreement, prosecutors said, that she gained $24,899 in fraudulent benefits after submitting a FEMA application on Jan. 28, seeking disaster relief for a Pacific Palisades property that she neither owned nor rented.

In total, six other people have been charged with fraud related to the Eaton and Palisades fires.

They are:

  • Deanniah Hogan, 32, of Compton
  • Delvonne Dashon Johnson, 31, of East Hollywood
  • Zenalyn McIntre, 38, of Sherman Oaks
  • Katrina Woods, 33, of Maricopa, Arizona
  • Joyce Turner, 55, of Rosharon, Texas
  • Tyrone D. Barnes Jr., 38, of Paramount

Between them, prosecutors alleged, they gained a combined $155,159 in fraudulent FEMA benefits.