Joint Regional Fire Crimes Task Force targets looting, burglary, impersonation, arson, illegal drone activity, and fraud exploiting victims and charitable donations.
, local and federal law enforcement agencies are teaming up to crack down on wildfire-related crime across the region.
The Joint Regional Fire Crimes Task Force will focus on looting, burglary, impersonation offenses, arson, illegal drone activity and fraud"targeting both disaster victims and those wishing to make charitable donations," according to an announcement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California Wednesday.“We will not permit victims to be re-victimized,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement.
Law enforcement departments across Los Angeles County are filing charges against suspected looters taking advantage of the devastation brought upon the Southland by brush fires. Eric Leonard reports for the NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025.Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter. Since the fires started last Tuesday night, more than 50 people have been arrested — nine of which have been charged — in connection with looting, burglary, impersonation or curfew violations, authorities said.
Fraud has also been a central issue as both victims and good Samaritans struggle to navigate where their money is going. The task force intends to investigate not only individual acts of fraud, but price gouging for essential needs, contractor fraud and the misuse of federal programs, including through Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration..
WILDFIRE CRIME LOOTING BURGLARY ARSON FRAUD
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