A couple accused of pretending to be Hurricane Katrina victims were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of mail fraud and theft of public money, according to U.S. District Court documents unsealed Thursday.
Charles and Jelissa Wimberly are each charged with 10 counts and stand accused of stealing around $40,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Colorado Division of Housing, Catholic Charities, Corporate Lodging Consultants Inc., and the American Red Cross.
The couple applied for federal disaster assistance indicating that their primary residence was in Diberville, Miss., at the time of the hurricane and that their home was damaged along with their places of employment.
But a 9News investigation found that both were working and living in Colorado during that time.
