Reports

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio entered a consent decree permanently enjoining a Columbus-area woman from producing and selling fake Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 vaccination cards.

BOSTON – A Stoneham woman was sentenced today in connection with her involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19-related unemployment assistance using stolen identities.

BOSTON – A Salem man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with orchestrating two fraud schemes involving COVID-19 relief funds and tax returns submitted using stolen identities.

BOSTON – A Boston man has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to fraud, identity theft, firearm and drug offenses.

BOSTON – A Charlestown man living under a false identity was sentenced today in federal court in Boston on charges arising from his use of the name and Social Security number of a U.S. citizen.

BOSTON – A former employee of the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) was sentenced yesterday for conspiring to misuse her position in an effort to obtain Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) funds through fraudulent claims, including claims using identities she stole.

Four people have been charged with participating in COVID-19 relief fraud schemes, and three of them have already pled guilty.

BOSTON – A Stoneham man was sentenced today for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme to obtain COVID-19-related unemployment assistance using stolen personal information.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, claims for unemployment insurance benefits increased significantly, and many claimants experienced lengthy delays in receiving payments. The unprecedented volume of claims made delays inevitable, but the Georgia Department of Labor’s (GDOL) claims management and customer service systems were also factors. GDOL should continue planned improvements to both.