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A former employee of the California Employment Development Department (EDD), which administers the state’s unemployment insurance (UI) program, and her former boyfriend were sentenced today to federal prison terms for fraudulently obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 pandemic-related jobless benefits.

LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to 33 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for a scheme to steal nearly $240,000 in unemployment insurance benefits.

ABINGDON, Va. – Josef Ludwig Brown, one of the leaders of a 17 defendant conspiracy to defraud the United States, commit program fraud, and commit mail fraud in connection with a scheme to file fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits was sentenced last week to 35 months in federal prison.

Baltimore , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Tiia Woods, 47, of Jacksonville, Florida, to 74 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. The sentence is in connection with Woods’s role as an organizer of an unemployment insurance (UI) fraud scheme. Through the conspiracy, victims lost approximately $3,296,725.

“Today, George Santos was finally held accountable for the mountain of lies, theft, and fraud he perpetrated. For the defendant, it was judgment day, and for his many victims including campaign donors, political parties, government agencies, elected bodies, his own family members, and his constituents, it is justice,” stated U.S. Attorney Durham. “To Mr. Santos and other dishonest individuals of that ilk, who lie, steal identities and commit frauds to get elected to public office, this prosecution speaks to the truth that my Office is committed to aggressively rooting out public corruption and...

Deshawn Oshaea Campbell, 36, of Citrus Heights, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm and mail fraud

BOSTON – A Nigerian man has pleaded guilty in connection with a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain at least $10 million in COVID-19 unemployment benefits.

The American Rescue Plan Act, as amended by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, provided $1 billion in funding to DOL to prevent and detect fraud, promote equitable access, ensure timely payment of benefits, and reduce backlogs. Of these funds, DOL provided approximately $219 million in grants to improve UI claimant outreach and customer service processes, implement strategies to reduce backlog, and improve access for workers in communities that may historically experience barriers. These grants will provide funding for states to improve public awareness and service delivery. This audit...