Reports

An Inland Empire woman was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining $1.7 million in COVID-19 pandemic-related jobless benefits, federally-guaranteed small business loans, California Small Business COVID-19 relief grants, and Los Angeles County economic opportunity grants.

A former Small Business Administration (SBA) employee who fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief money to spend on luxury items was sentenced on June 13.

CINCINNATI – A West Chester couple pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to committing wire fraud to obtain pandemic relief funds. The husband and wife were owners or associates of multiple transportation firms.

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that William Chadwick, 62, of Akron, Colorado, pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of Money Laundering and agreed to repay the fraudulent proceeds he laundered from COVID-19 relief programs.

NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that NIPUN DESAI (“DESAI”), formerly of Hammond, La., but now a California resident, age 56, was sentenced to 12 months plus one day by U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter for making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

A New Jersey man was sentenced to 20 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining approximately $149,900 in federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”) loans.

Three individuals were sentenced yesterday for their participation in a scheme to defraud the Georgia Department of Labor (GaDOL), out of tens of millions of dollars in benefits meant to assist unemployed individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABINGDON, Va. – The final defendant charged in a 17-member conspiracy that defrauded the United States, committed program fraud and mail fraud in connection with a scheme involving the filing of fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits pled guilty today in U.S. District Court in Abingdon.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Ronnie Lamar Strawberry, Jr., 39, of Los Angeles, California was sentenced on May 19, 2025, by Senior United States District Judge G. Murray Snow to 33 months in prison and ordered to pay $528,426 in restitution. Strawberry pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. His sister, Raychelle Strawberry, who pleaded guilty to the same charge, was sentenced on the same day to 60 months of probation for her role in the offense.

Greenbelt , Maryland – Today, Vincent Ford, 22, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and oxycodone; possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon; and wire fraud, in connection with fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 unemployment insurance (UI) benefits.

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.

Raisha Kelly, 44, of Loxahatchee, FL was sentenced to sixty months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $443,895 in restitution by United States District Court Judge Federico A. Moreno. The sentence follows Kelly’s conviction for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.

“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

Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Chief U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III, sentenced Ryan E. Dales, 36, of Baltimore, to 26 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Dales, a previously convicted felon, was charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

Greenbelt , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby sentenced Michael Cooley, Jr., aka “Micheal Cooley Jr.,” “5Micmusik,” and “Michael White,” age 26, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, to 87 months in federal prison. In January 2025, Cooley pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, in connection with a conspiracy and scheme to defraud the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) and California Employment Development Department (CA-EDD).

VICTORIA KATES, 34, of New Britain, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to offenses related to her fraudulent receipt of COVID-19 relief funds.

Baltimore, Maryland – Mervyn Fombe Abiko, 35, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, pled guilty to federal charges in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $1 million in unemployment benefits.

BOSTON – The owner of Stash’s Pizza was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for submitting false information to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to obtain a loan on behalf of a business he no longer owned.

SAN DIEGO – Regina Brice, a former employee of the California Employment Development Department, was sentenced in federal court today to 66 months in prison for using her position to file $858,339 in fraudulent unemployment claims, effectively stealing money that was intended to give economic relief to people impacted by the pandemic.

A federal district judge in South Florida has sentenced an Orlando man to almost six years in prison for leading a scheme that defrauded California’s Employment Development Department of over $4 million in state and federal unemployment insurance benefit money.

Baltimore , Maryland – David Godin, 34, aka “James St Patrick,” aka “David Wetty,” aka “Vic Pro,” of Miami, Florida, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, in connection with a scheme to defraud the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) and California Employment Development Department (CA-EDD). Godin attempted to defraud MD-DOL and CA-EDD of more than $2.3 million in unemployment insurance (UI) benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PROVIDENCE – Four Florida residents convicted in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island for executing one of the largest schemes in the country to defraud Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act programs, including in Rhode Island, have been sentenced to federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Devante Smith, 30, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, in connection with his role in an unemployment insurance fraud scheme. Through the conspiracy, victims lost at least $298,685.

VINCENZO MINUTOLO, 38, of Shelton, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to offenses related to his fraudulent receipt of COVID-19 relief funds.

Rochelle Pasley, 34, of Citrus Heights, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas woman pleaded guilty yesterday to carrying out a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $137,000 from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program (PUA), the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL).

BOSTON – A Boston woman was sentenced in federal court in Boston for a scheme to fraudulently obtain pandemic-related relief funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

Tabitha Leigh Markle, 53, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft in a scheme to defraud the unemployment insurance benefit program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BOSTON – A Haverhill man has pleaded guilty to making false statements in connection with a Massachusetts Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claim he submitted in 2020 on behalf of a man who was living in Brazil at the time, and therefore ineligible to receive PUA benefits.

BOSTON – Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean A. Tran was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for scheming to defraud the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and collecting income that he failed to report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Hattiesburg, MS – A Forrest County man and woman pled guilty to conspiring with each other to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

BOSTON – A Malden woman was sentenced today for fraudulently obtaining over $100,000 from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.

BOSTON – Two men were arrested for allegedly submitting fraudulent information in an effort to obtain loans through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program.

Tacoma – The second of two Nigerian men residing in Canada who defrauded pandemic aid programs of millions was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 54 months in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman.

HONOLULU, Hawaii – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that on January 23, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a twelve-count indictment against Phoebe Trinh, also known as Phuong Trinh Ngoc Vo, 31, of Kapolei, Hawaii, charging Trinh with nine counts of wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft in connection with fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance and pandemic unemployment assistance.

A Houston, Texas, woman was sentenced in federal court today for fraudulently receiving more than $800,000 in Missouri and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act unemployment benefits using the identity information of numerous other persons.

A former employee of the California Employment Development Department, which administers the state’s unemployment insurance program, pleaded guilty this afternoon to fraudulently obtaining more than $750,000 in COVID jobless relief.

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging two Maryland men on federal charges related to a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $1 million in unemployment insurance benefits. On February 1, 2024, a grand jury returned a sealed indictment of Daiwor Woah-Tee, age 51, of Belcamp, Maryland, and Dekwii Woah-Tee, age 46, of Rosedale, Maryland with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft, respectively, relating to a scheme to obtain more than $1,000,000 in unemployment insurance benefits. The indictment was unsealed upon the...

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston after being convicted of fraudulently obtaining pandemic-related relief funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

BOSTON – Two corrections officers employed by the Suffolk County Sherriff’s Department were arrested today for allegedly submitting fraudulent information in an effort to obtain loans through CARES Act programs like the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Myaika Gross, age 40, of Denham Springs, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to wire fraud in connection with her defrauding of the COVID-19 relief programs.

A South Bay man who provided lifestyle and personal development coaching to students in public schools through a non-profit he founded pleaded guilty today to fraudulently applying for millions of dollars in COVID-19 jobless benefits, including by using stolen identities.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A jury found a Columbus man guilty on all counts for leading drug, sex trafficking and financial fraud conspiracies and then attempting to obstruct justice and tamper with witnesses.

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced on Nov. 15, 2024 for fraud and false statements charges in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain pandemic-related relief funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas woman pleaded guilty today to using a California Employment Development Department (EDD) unemployment insurance benefits debit card in another person’s name without the person’s authorization.

Two San Bernardino County residents were arrested today on a nine-count federal grand jury indictment alleging they fraudulently obtained more than $2.1 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds by submitting more than 120 fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits using stolen identities, including those of California state prisoners.

TRENTON N.J. – A New York man was convicted for conspiring to illegally obtain over $570,000 in COVID-19 unemployment benefits.

A federal grand jury returned an eight-count indictment against Ricky Lee Ware, 41; Kimberly Ann Wallace, 28, of Las Vegas, Nevada; and Carlos Lee Sanchez Jr., 44, of Sacramento, charging them with conspiring to commit access device fraud and access device fraud.

A Portland man was sentenced to federal prison Wednesday for stealing more than $147,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits from the Oregon Employment Department (OED).

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida remains a leader in COVID-19 pandemic relief prosecutions, holding a range of actors accountable for these crimes. Over this summer alone, the district has charged 17 individuals with COVID-19 relief fraud cases, with scheme amounts totaling over $21 million.

BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to fraud and false statements charges in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain pandemic-related relief funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

Kaymeisha Keyes, 33, of Tracy, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to nine years in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in a scheme to defraud the unemployment insurance benefit program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that REHA JANEE ARVIE, (“ARVIE”), age 33, of Westwego, LA, was indicted on September 6, 2024 for Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud (Count1), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349; Mail Fraud (Counts 2 and 3), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341; and, Making False Statements (Count 4), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2).

Tacoma – The second of two Nigerian men residing in Canada pleaded guilty Thursday September 12, 2024, in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for his fraud scheme that stole more than $1.3 million in federal funds, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman.

BOSTON – A Boston woman pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain pandemic-related relief funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

SAN JUAN, P.R. – On August 22, 2024, a Federal Grand Jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned 32 separate indictments charging 32 individuals with engaging in fraud to obtain Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits totaling $981,071, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG) are in charge of the investigations with the assistance of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Puerto Rico Department of...

BOSTON – A Nigerian man was arrested on Aug. 13, 2024 upon arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on charges that he, and others, conspired to fraudulently obtain at least $10 million in COVID-19 unemployment benefits.

Six people have pleaded guilty in a 33-count indictment with illegally obtaining nearly $3,000,000 in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits using other people’s personal identifying information.

Malaina Chapman, 37, of Hialeah, Fla. has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and bank fraud. She had her initial appearance in Miami federal court today.

BOSTON – Jose Then, originally charged under the pseudonym “John Doe,” was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for mail fraud, false statement in an application for a passport, misuse of a social security number and aggravated identity theft.

A Hampton woman was sentenced today to five years in prison for identity theft and leading a conspiracy to defraud the government and financial institutions for pandemic-related loans and other benefits.

A South Bay man who provided lifestyle and personal development coaching to students in public schools through a non-profit he founded was arrested today on an indictment alleging he and his accomplices fraudulently applied for millions of dollars in COVID-19 jobless benefits, including by using stolen identities.

Salt Lake City, Utah – Robert James Waff, 50, of Sacramento, California, was sentenced today to a year and a half imprisonment, three years’ supervised release and ordered by the court to pay $114,066 in restitution. The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Tena Campbell, comes after Waff admitted to devising a scheme to defraud the California Employment Development Department by unlawfully collecting unemployment benefits during COVID-19.

BOSTON – A Haverhill man was indicted today for allegedly filing a Massachusetts Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claim in 2020 for a man who was living in Brazil at the time, and therefore ineligible to receive PUA benefits.

BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today to fraud and false statements charges in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain pandemic-related relief funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

A former college football player and Orange County man pleaded guilty today to orchestrating a scheme that fraudulently sought more than $1 million and obtained more than $280,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits.

BOSTON – A U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee was sentenced today for embezzling nearly $90,000 and for fraudulently obtaining unemployment benefits.

BOSTON – A Plymouth, Mass. man was sentenced today for his involvement in a COVID-19 relief fund fraud scheme.

A Houston, Texas, woman has pleaded guilty in federal court to fraudulently receiving Missouri and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act unemployment benefits using the identity information of numerous other persons.

“As alleged, the defendant made a business out of defrauding the government by falsely claiming that she and others needed government loan benefits to pay their employees during the pandemic. This money was meant to help businesses weather the pandemic. In reality, the defendant was lining her own pockets,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office will continue prosecuting those who took advantage of the COVID crisis and stole funds from vitally important government relief programs.”

BOSTON – A West Roxbury man pleaded guilty on May 15, 2024 in federal court in Boston to a fraud charge in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain pandemic-related relief funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).