Woman charged in Noah Pozner fraud probe

JTA — Federal prosecutors charged a New York woman with lying to federal agents during an investigation into an alleged scheme that solicited donations in the name of Newtown rampage victim Noah Pozner.

In an interview with NBC’s “Today” show, Nouel Alba, 37, of the Bronx, denied posing as Pozner’s aunt and sending messages requesting donations. She claimed someone else had used her Facebook account to send the messages and said she had refunded the donation money she received.

The federal criminal complaint, filed Thursday in Connecticut, alleges that Alba lied when she told the same story to FBI special agents.

If convicted of making false statements to federal agents, Alba faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000, the Connecticut US Attorney’s office said in a statement first reported by the Forward.

Pozner was one of 20 first-graders killed Dec. 14 at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. Suspected gunman Adam Lanza killed 27 people in all before turning a gun on himself, authorities said.

The Pozner family is raising money on its official noahpozner.org web site.