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A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) bigwig in Michigan just got her hand caught in the cookie jar, and it’s a doozy. Serina Baker-Hill, 55, a career suit who runs CBP’s Center for Excellence and Expertise over Automotive and Aerospace Engineering, is staring down the barrel of a criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The charge? Cooking up a scheme to bleed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) dry after floods trashed her home in 2023, then lying through her teeth to federal agents about it.
This all kicked off when Michigan got slammed by floods in August 2023, turning the Detroit area into a swamp. FEMA greenlit a federal disaster declaration, opening the spigot for residents to tap assistance. Baker-Hill, whose basement took a hit, jumped in line. A FEMA inspector scoped her place and confirmed the damage. She played the sob story, claiming she couldn’t live there while repairs dragged on.
This all kicked off when Michigan got slammed by floods in August 2023, turning the Detroit area into a swamp. FEMA greenlit a federal disaster declaration, opening the spigot for residents to tap assistance. Baker-Hill, whose basement took a hit, jumped in line. A FEMA inspector scoped her place and confirmed the damage. She played the sob story, claiming she couldn’t live there while repairs dragged on.
FEMA bought it—hook, line, and sinker—cutting her checks for repairs and tossing in two months of rental assistance to cover “temporary housing.” The approval letter was crystal clear: use it for rent and basic utilities, nothing else.
Except, surprise, she didn’t. Investigators dug into her bank records and found zilch—nada—spent on rent, hotels, or utilities. Then they pulled surveillance video from the house. Guess who’s still crashing there with her husband, cozy as ever, after pocketing the cash? Yep, Baker-Hill. Utility records didn’t show the kind of dip you’d expect from an empty house either. The DOJ’s got her dead to rights.
FBI Director Kash Patel didn’t mince words on X: "Following efforts with our interagency partners, I can report that a career Director level employee at US Customs and Border Protection has been charged with allegedly attempting to defraud FEMA, as well as lying to federal agents. This is part of the new FBI’s renewed efforts to crack down on public corruption and deliver accountability for the American people. Justice will be done. Thanks to our partners @AGPamBondi @TheJusticeDept and our @FBIDetroit team for their work."
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When FBI and CBP Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) agents sat her down, Baker-Hill stuck to her guns, denying she’d done anything shady or ripped off Uncle Sam. Bold move. The investigation’s still churning, and once the dust settles, they’ll decide if she’s catching a felony indictment.
So here we are: a high-rolling CBP director, supposed to be a straight arrow, allegedly gaming the system while her neighbors drowned in floodwater. If the evidence holds, she’s not just sunk—she’s torpedoed.
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Except, surprise, she didn’t. Investigators dug into her bank records and found zilch—nada—spent on rent, hotels, or utilities. Then they pulled surveillance video from the house. Guess who’s still crashing there with her husband, cozy as ever, after pocketing the cash? Yep, Baker-Hill. Utility records didn’t show the kind of dip you’d expect from an empty house either. The DOJ’s got her dead to rights.
FBI Director Kash Patel didn’t mince words on X: "Following efforts with our interagency partners, I can report that a career Director level employee at US Customs and Border Protection has been charged with allegedly attempting to defraud FEMA, as well as lying to federal agents. This is part of the new FBI’s renewed efforts to crack down on public corruption and deliver accountability for the American people. Justice will be done. Thanks to our partners @AGPamBondi @TheJusticeDept and our @FBIDetroit team for their work."
If you would like to support my work, you can Buy Me A Coffee or subscribe. Thank you.
When FBI and CBP Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) agents sat her down, Baker-Hill stuck to her guns, denying she’d done anything shady or ripped off Uncle Sam. Bold move. The investigation’s still churning, and once the dust settles, they’ll decide if she’s catching a felony indictment.
So here we are: a high-rolling CBP director, supposed to be a straight arrow, allegedly gaming the system while her neighbors drowned in floodwater. If the evidence holds, she’s not just sunk—she’s torpedoed.
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