Woman Arrested for Sandy Hook Fake "Funeral Fund" Scam

Pretended to be relative of victim

A woman was arrested Thursday after wrongfully soliciting donations by pretending to be the relative of a Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting victim. Police say Nouel Alba, 37, of the Bronx, claimed to be the aunt of a 6-year-old boy and used her Facebook account, telephone calls and text messages to solicit money for a “funeral fund." When contacted by federal agents investigating fraud schemes related to the shooting, police say Alba denied she had posted any messages or had taken funds from anybody. She was charged with lying to federal agents. “It is unconscionable to think that the families of the victims in Newtown, and a sympathetic community looking to provide them some sort of financial support and comfort, have become the targets of criminals,” said Kimberly K. Mertz, the special agent in charge of the New Haven division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. If convicted, Alba faces a maximum of five years in prison and $250,000 fine. (NY Times)

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