Nouel Alba
© NBCNouel Alba, 37, of the Bronxis charged with a scam to profit from the Sandy Hook massacre.
The innocent blood spilled on the floors of a Connecticut elementary school was still warm when a Bronx woman hatched a sick scam to profit off the tragedy.

Nouel Alba, 37, was busted after allegedly posing as an aunt of 6-year-old Noah Pozner - one of 20 children massacred inside Sandy Hook Elementary School - to collect money for the child's "funeral fund," authorities said.

Alba was charged Wednesday with lying to the feds after they caught wind of the vile scam, which included using her Facebook account to solicit donations and spinning a tale about meeting with President Obama, court papers show.

"I'm disgusted by it," the child's uncle, Alexis Haller, told NBC. "I think it's disgusting behavior."

Alba, of Soundview, began posting on her profile - which was under the user name Victorian Glam Fairys - just hours after a gunman went on a gory rampage in the Newtown, Conn., school on Dec. 14, the papers show.

"All this killing and shooting this entire week is just crazy," she posted at 1:14 p.m., according to the FBI. "Praying for those families and all the kids who are effected (sic) by this today. My heart goes out to those little innocent kids."

Just 15 minutes later, she wrote that her nephew was one of the tiny victims and claimed to have provided law enforcement officers with pictures to help identify him. The next day, Alba, a mother, continued the twisted scheme by asking heartbroken people for cash.

"We've set up a funeral fund for my brother and families," she posted on her profile before including PayPal and bank information to accept donations.

"We like to thank everyone for your prayers," she wrote. "We ask that you continue to not just pray for us, but for the families who have lost their kid."

Noah Pozner, Sandy Hook
© The Associated PressNoah Pozner was one of the victims in the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn.
Some distressed readers reached out to Alba by phone to set up donations. Alba told one donor that she had to go to the elementary school to help identify little Noah's body - and even mentioned meeting the President before his speech, according to the court documents.

The donor texted Alba, asking if she was watching Obama speak at Newtown High School.

"No I'm sitting in my car," Alba responded, according to the criminal compliant. "Emotionally I can't deal with right now . . . tomorrow I'll see (Noah) in a casket and that will be hard enough to handle."

But she said she was sure Obama would make poignant remarks.

"Im sure he'll give a good speech," Alba allegedly texted. "He met with us hugged us even cryd with us. He's really down to earth."

Alba's scam was exposed by Anderson Cooper, who on Dec. 19 reported on charity scams operating since the tragedy. She denied to CNN that she was involved in the scheme and said she had quickly refunded all of the donations. Federal investigators said she returned the donations but only after she spoke to the media. It was not clear how much money was involved.

The next day FBI agents called her, but Alba again claimed to know nothing of the scam - and tried to blame it on someone who hacked into her Facebook account.

She said she only posted about arts and crafts on the page and that other members in the scrapbooking community tried to set her up.

"She's not like that," said one neighbor, Evelyn Montanez. "It's incredible. . . . I'm surprised. This is shocking to me."

Another neighbor found it hard to believe that a mother would consider such a heartless trick for money.

"She's a nice person," said Ismael Lopez, 79. "I don't know what she was thinking. I don't know if there was anything wrong with her money situation. It's fraud. And poorly done."

Alba was released on $50,000 bond. She faces five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted.

"It is unconscionable to think that the families of the victims in Newtown, and a sympathetic community looking to provide them some sort of financial support and comfort, have become the targets of criminals," stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Kimberly Mertz.

Also on Thursday, a petition to rename a Stratford, Conn., street in honor of a teacher killed inside the school is picking up momentum. The petition, found on Change.org, calls for the city to rename a street in front of her alma mater - Stratford High School - to Victoria Soto Way. About 3,000 people have already signed the request.

Source: News Wire Services with Mark Morales