Mannford Woman Pleads Guilty To Cheating FEMA Out Of Wildfire Funds

A Mannford woman pleaded guilty to fraudulently getting disaster assistance benefits made available to victims of the Mannford wildfires, according to a release from the Department of Justice.

Kerry Lynn Rowell made false statements and provided false documents to apply for assistance from the Federal Emergency Disaster Agency or FEMA. Authorities say she claimed her primary residence was destroyed when it was actually an uninhabited home with no utilities that was owned by her mother.

Rowell, 42, may face five years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000, the release states.

Rowell received $31,400 in FEMA benefits.

If you know of anyone who may be defrauding the government in connection to a disaster, call the toll-free Department of Home Security Office at 1-800-323-8603.