A Florida woman has been arrested and charged with a felony for allegedly using her mother’s identity to obtain hurricane assistance funds. Police claim she attempted to deceive government employees by attributing her younger appearance to “botox treatments” while receiving the aid.
Veronica Torres, 44, is accused of submitting a false application for disaster assistance, according to the Bradenton Police Department. She allegedly used her mother’s name, driver’s license, and Social Security number on the application, as reported by the New York Post.
The application claimed Torres was forced to leave her home due to damage caused by Hurricanes Milton and Helene. She received a check for $7,967, according to police.
A city employee noticed an age discrepancy on November 14 when Torres came to pick up the $7,967 check and reported it to authorities. Police said Torres attributed the discrepancy to her “botox treatments.”
Torres was asked to return the following day for questioning by Bradenton detectives. Afterward, she was arrested and charged with one count of filing a false public assistance claim, a third-degree felony. She was later released on a $2,500 bond.
