Columbia Gas insurance adjuster accused of stealing from Merrimack Valley explosion victims

BOSTON - A woman working for Columbia Gas stole thousands of dollars and the identities of victims of the 2018 Merrimack Valley explosions, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said Monday.

Lashaunda Studaway, of Mississippi, was working as an insurance adjuster in charge of handling claims from residents.

She allegedly assumed the identities of four of the Merrimack Valley residents impacted by the explosions and claimed pre-paid debit cards herself. She also allegedly set up false claims under fake names.

In total, the Attorney General's office said Studaway stole nearly $29,000.

Studaway was arraigned Thursday in Essex Superior Court on four counts of identity fraud and two counts of larceny over $1,200. She is due back in court on December 16 for a pre-trial hearing.

In September 2018, explosions ripped through Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover, displacing 8,000 people and burning 100 homes.