Sharai Poteet
Introduction
Sharai Poteet is a 56-year-old woman from Porter, Texas, who was sentenced on 10 November 2026 to 71 months in federal prison for lying about her household to obtain a $435,000 custom seven-bedroom home built with Hurricane Harvey recovery money, then threatening to kill a witness and assaulting a federal agent during the investigation . U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt also ordered her to pay $537,209 in restitution to the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, with three years of supervised release to follow prison . Poteet pleaded guilty on 1 June 2026 to wire fraud, fraud in connection with a major disaster, threatening to kill a witness, and assaulting or impeding a law enforcement officer, and was ordered into custody after sentencing .
Background Information
Poteet’s fraud ran from 2019 through 2024 and targeted the Hurricane Harvey recovery program administered through a HUD program, with the Texas General Land Office among the building partners . On her housing applications she claimed 11 people lived in her household — including seven children and an adult with a disability — which qualified her for the custom seven-bedroom home, the largest the Harvey recovery program had built at that time . Investigators found she had also filed five fraudulent FEMA applications for storms occurring between 2017 and 2024 .
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Sentenced for disaster-relief fraud, witness threats, and assaulting a federal officer.
Evidence at sentencing showed Poteet searched online for “what is the punishment for lying to FEMA” shortly before filing a false hurricane-aid claim . When the investigation closed in, she threatened to kill a whistleblower in an effort to silence the witness, and assaulted a federal agent while trying to flee as investigators moved to seize her cellphone . Judge Hoyt heard testimony about the toll the threats took on the witness and the witness’s family, along with evidence that Poteet committed forgeries after she was charged . The judge said “without being charged, it is unlikely she would have stopped,” according to prosecutors .
Public Reaction and Consequences
The sentencing drew local coverage of the spectacle of a Harvey recipient surrendering at court, flanked by officers, after nearly six years of escalating fraud and intimidation . HUD’s Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shalimar Addy prosecuted the case . The restitution order of $537,209 covers what HUD and FEMA paid out on her claims .
Current Status
Poteet is in federal custody serving her 71-month sentence imposed on 10 November 2026, to be followed by three years of supervised release . The restitution judgment of $537,209 to HUD and FEMA stands, and the fraudulent home obtained through the program is subject to the government’s recovery process .
Impact on Their Career/Life
A sentence of nearly six years, a restitution judgment larger than the value of the house she obtained, and a felony record across four counts close the chapter on the household Poteet built through the Harvey program . The judge’s observation that she would likely not have stopped absent prosecution framed the custody decision, and her threats against the whistleblower who came forward became part of the sentencing record she must answer for .
Sources
- “Porter Woman Gets Nearly 6 Years After Lying to Get a $435,000 Home With Hurricane Harvey Aid” — Katy Christian Magazine: source