Porter, Texas Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison After Fraudulently Receiving $435,000 Home: Threatened Witness and Assaulted Officer
A U.S. Department of Justice update on November 10 said that Sharai Poteet, a 56-year-old resident of Porter, Texas, has been ordered to federal prison for wire fraud, fraud in connection with a major disaster, threatening to kill a witness, and assaulting and impeding a law enforcement officer, after fraudulently receiving a newly built home worth $435,000.
According to the Justice Department's earlier release, from 2019 through 2024, Poteet engaged in a scheme to fraudulently obtain disaster-relief housing assistance and additional federal benefits. She submitted fraudulent applications claiming 11 people, including seven children and a disabled adult, were members of her household, and as a result received a custom seven-bedroom home. The funds used to construct the home were intended to help Hurricane Harvey victims through a Department of Housing and Urban Development program, and the home was the largest the program had built at that time.
The investigation also revealed that Poteet submitted three fraudulent applications for disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for storms that occurred between 2021 and 2024. During the investigation, she also threatened to kill a witness and assaulted a federal agent while attempting to flee during an operation intended to seize her cell phone.
The case was investigated by the HUD Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shalimar Addy. Poteet had previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt.
(Source: U.S. Department of Justice)
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国司法部总部大楼入口标识。GSM 联邦固定图库。 / Photo: Entrance signage at U.S. Department of Justice headquarters. GSM federal asset library.
