Woman accused of fake report in federal custody

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A woman accused of making up a brother in order to defraud disaster relief organizations after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has been turned over to federal authorities.

Cassaundrea E. Montgomery, 41, of St. Joseph, made her initial court appearance in federal court Thursday in Kansas City and will remain in federal custody until her next court date.

She had been jailed in Buchanan County on a probation violation for passing bad checks.

Montgomery faces 10 counts of mail fraud. Prosecutors said she called the New York City police department on Sept. 25, 2001, and filed a missing person report for a brother, Jeffrey David Montgomery.

She is charged with telling authorities her brother had gone to the World Trade Center to apply for a job on Sept. 11, shortly before the terrorist attacks.

Federal officials say Montgomery received about $64,000 in 10 separate payments between Oct. 23, 2001, and Dec. 26, 2001 from the American Red Cross, Safe Horizons and the Robin Hood Relief Fund.

Her preliminary hearing will be Feb. 13.

Jeffrey Montgomery is one of nine names removed from the missing list since the anniversary of the attacks, when 2,801 names were read aloud during the ground zero remembrance.