HOUSTON, Texas — A 34-year-old former Houston resident has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
From March 2020 until March 2021, Cora Chantail Custard conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent loan applications for financial assistance both personally and on behalf of others. The co-conspirators submitted false applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and multiple state unemployment insurance agencies, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Custard, who resided in both Houston and San Antonio during the conspiracy, admitted to using her Facebook account to advertise her services to file fraudulent disaster relief applications. Her posts described the scheme to her social media followers as “doing apps,” with the ability to obtain between $6,000 and $8,000 for an application within four to seven days of filing…