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Police: Group Posing As Hurricane Victims In Central Fla.

POSTED: Monday, October 10, 2005
UPDATED: 6:52 am EDT October 11, 2005

Police arrested four people and were searching for two other suspects who allegedly posed as displaced Louisiana residents at a Florida hotel and together stole at least $9,000 intended for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Investigators said what started out as a pharmaceutical drug investigation earlier this month blossomed into a storm scam investigation when agents realized that criminals in the area were living in a Hampton Inn, posing as Hurricane Katrina victims.

Members of the Titusville SWAT team burst into four rooms of the Hampton Inn Monday, searching for six suspects and documents relating to the fraud.

Gertrude Mazion, 44; Mary Walker, 59; Sylvia Trice, 44; and April Smith, 34, all of Titusville, were charged Monday with felony possession of fictitious identification, scheming to defraud, cheating and grand theft.

Police said they were searching for David Bovian, 50, and Trinka Daniels, 29.

Hotel staff said the group had identified themselves as Katrina victims, according to police.

The group allegedly showed the American Red Cross chapter in Orlando fake identification cards obtained from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles that said they were Louisiana residents.

Each collected between $1,500 to $2,000 in debit cards from the Red Cross, police said.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
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