Honolulu, Hawaiʻi – Acting United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Daylyn Harris, 34, and Chelsea Johnson, 32, both of Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, were arrested on July 15, 2025, and have been charged in a seven-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on July 17, 2025.
The indictment alleges that Harris and Johnson conspired with each other to carry out a wire fraud scheme, submitting false claims to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). They allegedly claimed to have suffered income, housing, and property losses as a result of two federal disasters, despite knowing they did not live in the disaster areas or incur any such losses.
Specifically, the indictment states that Daylyn Harris falsely claimed to have resided in Lahaina, Hawaiʻi, during the Lahaina fires federal disaster in August and September 2023. He allegedly claimed to have lost housing and income, suffered medical bills, and lost property, when, in fact, he did not suffer these losses. Chelsea Johnson is accused of assisting this fraudulent claim by posing as Harris’s landlord on Maui.
The indictment further alleges that in January 2025, Chelsea Johnson falsely claimed to live in Pacific Palisades, California, during the California fires federal disaster and sought reimbursement for lost housing and other expenses.
Together, Harris and Johnson are alleged to have received over $60,000 in disaster relief funds from FEMA through their fraudulent claims.
If convicted of the charged offenses, Harris and Johnson each face a maximum sentence of up to thirty years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each count.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Any sentence, in the case of a conviction, would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security – Office of the Inspector General, with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Albanese is prosecuting the case.