A New York woman pleaded guilty to faking a relationship to a Newtown, Conn., shooting victim as a means of raising money from emotionally torn charitable donors.
Nouel Alba, 37, had first pleaded not guilty to wire fraud and to making false statements, United Press International reported. But late Thursday, she told a federal judge in Bridgeport, Conn., that she was changing her plea to guilty.
Court documents indicated Ms. Alba sought donations on Facebook and by email, text and telephone, claiming she was the aunt of a 6-year-old boy — Noah Pozner — killed in the Dec. 14, 2012, school shooting.
She collected donations on PayPal, federal prosecutors charged in the UPI report.
She specifically told potential donors she “had to go to Sandy Hook Elementary School and enter the crime scene to identify her nephew for law enforcement personnel,” prosecutors said, UPI reported.
One FBI agent testified that Ms. Alba’s actions “caused undue sadness and harm to those already suffering and to those involved with running legitimate and caring charities,” UPI said.
She will be sentenced in federal court on Aug. 29, but also faces state charges in New York, UPI reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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