A Marion woman is charged with defrauding FEMA after Hurricane Helene.

A federal grand jury in Asheville returned a criminal indictment charging Peggy Lee Cantrell, 40, of Marion, with fraud in connection with a major disaster or emergency benefits and aggravated identity theft.

Cantrell appeared in federal court Friday morning. If convicted, she faces up to 30 years in prison for the fraud charge and two years in prison for the identity theft charge, according to a news release from Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

“Disaster relief resources were intended to help western North Carolina get back on its feet after the devastation left by Helene,” Ferguson said. “Knowing that federal funding is often followed by federal fraud, my office is committed

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