Arrests Made for Taking Advantage of Disaster Relief

Investigations into who received government help after last month’s flood are leading to arrests. As of Thursday four people have been charged with misdemeanors for taking advantage of money set aside to help feed flood victims.

In the last month, Tennessee Department of Human Services has handed out almost $10 million in food stamps and emergency cash. More than 12,000 households received help, but investigators found at least four of them weren’t in need because of the flood.

One way to qualify was if power was lost for more than 12 hours. Investigators are using utility records to see what areas experienced power outages and using flood maps to verify claims of damage.

More arrests are expected, but DHS Inspector General Alan Hall says most people who received help were in honest need.