ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — A man was federally indicted on charges after falsely claiming his home was damaged by Hurricane Helene, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, Russ Ferguson, announced.
A federal grand jury in Asheville indicted Christian Michael Hall, 49, of Drexel, N.C., on charges of defrauding the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), according to the press release.
On or about Sept. 30, 2024, Hall filed for a disaster application with FEMA seeking benefits for a home in Valdese that was damaged by Helene, according to the indictment. Hall claimed the Valdese property was his primary residence, even though he did not own, rent or live there.
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As a result of the false application, Hall received about $20,932.14 in FEMA benefits, according to the indictment.
Hall was charged…
This category refers to crimes committed by employees or insiders against their own organizations. It is often the most damaging because the perpetrator has authorized access to systems.
- Asset Misappropriation: The most common form, involving the theft of company resources. This ranges from simple “skimming” (taking cash before it’s recorded) to complex schemes involving the theft of inventory or intellectual property.
- Payroll Fraud: Employees may create “ghost employees” on the system, falsify their own timesheets to claim unworked overtime, or divert salary payments to their own accounts.
- Financial Statement Fraud: Management deliberately misrepresents the company’s financial health by inflating revenue or hiding liabilities to attract investors or meet performance bonuses.