(CBS11 News) When the levees gave way and flooded New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, hundreds of thousands of residents lost everything – their homes, their clothing and other possessions were all gone.

Thousands came to North Texas, where the Red Cross opened shelters and provided evacuees with debit cards that could be cashed in for rent, clothes and food.

On Thursday, 21-year old Dallas Red Cross volunteer Brian O’Neal Hines and his 32-year old sister Charmaine Hines pleaded guilty in court to stealing more than 100 Red Cross debit cards designated for Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

They admitted to spending the money on jewelry, clothing and cars for themselves.

While prosecutors haven’t determined the total amount of losses, they say the Red Cross lost roughly $230,000 from the scheme.

Prosecutors explain that Brian Hines, as part of his job, was authorized to activate and load these debit cards with a pre-determined amount of cash.

Hines admitted to activating cards using phony names and then cashing them in at bank ATMs.

To keep this from happening, the Red Cross says they aggressively pursue fraud.

The pair have been held in custody since their arrest last month. Since they plead guilty, they will likely receive less than the maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. They are set to return to court in April.

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