DETROIT — A U.S. Customs and Border Protection official in Detroit was charged Wednesday with orchestrating a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $6,300 in disaster aid and lying to federal agents, a case unsealed as prosecutors charged her husband in connection with an alleged drug conspiracy.

Serina Baker-Hill, 55, of Detroit, director of the agency's Center for Excellence and Expertise over Automotive and Aerospace Engineering, was arrested and released on $10,000 unsecured bond following an initial appearance Wednesday in federal court in Detroit. She is charged with three crimes: wire fraud, lying and fraud in connection with a major disaster, charges that could send her to federal prison for 20 years or longer. Her lawyer, Amanda Bashi, could not be reached for comment immediately Wednesday.

Baker-Hill did not serve in a sworn law-enforcement capacity and was not involved in immigration enforcement activities but the criminal case targeted a career employee of a federal agency executing a widespread crackdown on illegal immigration early in President Donald Trump's term. Locally, federal prosecutors have filed immigration-related criminal charges against more than 46 people since Jan. 1 and are on pace to eclipse last year's total of 70 criminal cases, according to court records and a database created by The Detroit News.

The corruption case against Baker-Hill grew out of a drug conspiracy investigation targeting her husband, 56-year-old Maurice Hill. During the drug probe, the FBI obtained a wiretap and learned Baker-Hill and her husband were engaged in an alleged fraud involving disaster aid, FBI Special Agent Andrew Matas wrote in an affidavit filed in federal court.

The criminal case against Baker-Hill dates to August 2023 after a series of floods in Metro Detroit prompted residents to apply for federal disaster aid. Baker-Hill applied for assistance and a Federal Emergency Management Agency inspector determined there was flood damage in the basement of her home, prosecutors said.

Baker-Hill received $6,315 to fix the damage and for two months of rental assistance because she claimed the home was unlivable, the government alleged.

The federal disaster aid, however, was not used to pay rent, a hotel or utilities, prosecutors said, citing bank records. Instead, video surveillance showed Baker-Hill and her husband continuing to live in the home and utility records did not reflect a significant decline consistent with the home being unoccupied, prosecutors said.

During an interview, Baker-Hill denied defrauding the government or committing any legal activity.

The wiretap captured Baker-Hill and her husband discussing the FEMA payment.

"...They approved us for six," Baker-Hill said.

"Thousand?" her husband said. "Congratulations."

"So, figure out what you want to do or need," Baker-Hill said.

"Some Gucci's...nah," her husband said before laughing, according to the court filing.

During a recorded phone call, the couple discussed drafting a letter, purportedly from a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning inspector, to obtain more disaster aid for a new HVAC system, the FBI agent wrote.

As the criminal case against Baker-Hill was unsealed Wednesday, a drug conspiracy case was unsealed in federal court against her husband and six others.

The 43-count indictment involves an alleged conspiracy to distribute and possess cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl.

Hill's lawyer did not respond immediately to a message seeking comment.

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