A grand jury has handed up charges accusing three East Palestine residents of stealing from the fund created by Norfolk Southern Railroad to help relocate victims of the fiery February 3, 2023, derailment, and chemical spill in the village.

Lauren Fegert, 39; Johnna Cozza, 44; and Scott Meyers, 47, are each charged with grand theft.  Cozza and Myers are also charged with forgery.

Investigators say Fegert submitted $15,890 worth of fictitious hotel, fuel, and fuel receipts for reimbursement from the railroad, when in fact she had not relocated.

Cozza is accused of seeking reimbursement of $7,950, falsely claiming she had leased a place to stay from a landlord who was in jail at the time.

Authorities say Scott Meyer submitted a $24,946 claim for phony leases, one of which was a building that formerly housed an ambulance company.

The three defendants are scheduled to be arraigned in Common Pleas Court on February 29.