Monday, March 30, 2026

Arizona Woman Faces Sentencing for Inventing Fake Altadena Address to Steal Eaton Fire Relief

Katrina Woods pleaded guilty to collecting more than $23,000 in FEMA disaster funds using a nonexistent North Lake Avenue address

An Arizona woman who fabricated a non-existent Altadena address in order to collect more than $23,000 in federal disaster relief meant for Eaton Fire victims is scheduled to be sentenced Monday afternoon in Los Angeles federal court, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Katrina Marie Woods, 33, of Maricopa, Arizona, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits. She had claimed to be a renter at 2060 N. Lake Ave. in Altadena — an address federal investigators determined does not exist — and told the Federal Emergency Management Agency that the home was destroyed in the Eaton Fire, according to court records and a U.S. Department of Justice statement.

FEMA disbursed approximately $23,441 in disaster relief to Woods, according to the Justice Department. Woods also used FEMA’s transitional sheltering program to book stays at two hotels — one in downtown Los Angeles, the other in Hawthorne — during February and March 2025. FEMA cut off her hotel lodging on March 10, 2025, according to the DOJ.

The fraud charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson is scheduled to sentence Woods at 2:30 p.m. Monday in Courtroom 9A of the U.S. Courthouse at 350 W. First St. in Los Angeles. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Arkow of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting the case.

Woods’s scheme unraveled after federal investigators discovered that the bills she submitted to support her claim had been forged, according to unsealed court records. She had submitted an Arizona driver’s license with an address in Maricopa, a bank statement from Navy Federal Credit Union and an AT&T bill — both listing the fake Altadena address, according to the records. Both companies confirmed the documents had been altered, the records state.

Woods had never lived in Altadena, according to a 26-page affidavit by Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General Special Agent Roxanna Dale. The closest she had ever lived to the area was Compton, roughly an hour south.

An undercover agent posing as a FEMA subcontractor spoke with Woods in March 2025. During those conversations, Woods said she had moved from Arizona to California, claimed she was renting at the North Lake Avenue address, and confirmed she was staying at a FEMA-funded hotel in downtown Los Angeles, according to the unsealed court records.

Woods was arrested on April 23, 2025, in Maricopa, Arizona, on unrelated state charges of identity theft and forgery. She later pleaded guilty to those charges in Pinal County and was extradited to federal custody in June 2025. A federal plea agreement in the FEMA fraud case was filed on July 1, 2025, according to federal court records.

She was one of multiple defendants charged as part of a broader federal crackdown on wildfire relief fraud. In total, five defendants were initially arrested in April 2025 on complaints alleging they submitted fraudulent FEMA claims tied to the Eaton and Palisades fires, the Justice Department announced at the time. Additional defendants have been charged since then. Woods was the only defendant living outside California.

The Eaton Fire ignited on January 7, 2025, and burned through residential areas of Altadena and surrounding communities, destroying more than 9,000 structures and killing at least 19 people, according to Cal Fire.

A presidential disaster declaration was issued the following day, triggering FEMA’s relief program for fire victims. Residents who lost homes or personal property could qualify for a one-time $750 payment, up to $43,600 in other needs assistance and housing assistance for up to 18 months, according to FEMA.

Federal authorities have warned that fraud diverts disaster money from legitimate victims. “These false claims resulted in badly needed disaster-relief money being denied to actual wildfire victims,” Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally said in an April 2025 statement announcing the initial round of charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

To report fraud related to FEMA disaster-relief assistance, the public can contact the DHS Office of Inspector General hotline at (800) 323-8603 or the Homeland Security Investigations tip line at (866) 347-2423.

Woods faces the possibility of a substantial federal prison term when she appears before Judge Anderson on Monday. The charge to which she pleaded guilty carries a statutory maximum of 30 years, though federal sentences are typically determined by sentencing guidelines and the judge’s discretion.