When flames from the Eaton Fire tore through Los Angeles County in January 2025, federal relief money quickly became a lifeline for families who had lost homes and belongings. But prosecutors say some of that money was siphoned away by someone who never lived in California at all.

Joyce Turner, a 57-year-old woman from Rosharon, Texas, pleaded guilty Monday to fraud charges after admitting she pocketed more than $28,000 in wildfire disaster aid and an additional $54,000 in jobless benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

The case traces back to two separate schemes. Just days after the Eaton Fire destroyed more than 10,000 structures and left residents displaced, Turner submitted an application to the Federal E

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