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Baltimore, Maryland – A former Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) insider received a federal-prison term, today, for scheming to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance (UI) claim benefits during the COVID-19 Pandemic. U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Katrina McCant, 41, of Baltimore, to four years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Baltimore, Maryland – A Maryland man pled guilty in federal court to tax and COVID-related fraud charges. Dekwii Woah-Tee, 43, of Rosedale, pled guilty to charges stemming from a scheme to fraudulently obtain UI benefits during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Today, the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division along with the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the SBA Office of Inspector General, as part of a Heartland Fraud Surge announced the results of Operation No Doze, a surge of criminal enforcement actions targeting fraud in SBA’s small business COVID-era loan programs.

HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Phoebe Trinh, also known as Phuong Trinh Ngoc Vo, 33, of Kapolei, Hawaii, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Shanlyn A.S. Park to 24 months in prison followed by 6 months of supervised release for aggravated identity theft.

Baltimore, Maryland – A Maryland woman received a federal-prison term, today, for her role in an unemployment insurance (UI) fraud conspiracy. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Elizabeth Maria Ceballos, 50, of Silver Spring, to 40 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges in connection with the scheme.

Roosevelt Gulley, 42, of Sacramento, was sentenced Monday to four years and six months in prison and ordered to pay $575,425 in restitution for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft related to unemployment insurance fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Lowell has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly using a stolen identity to fraudulently obtain pandemic relief funds and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, previously known as food stamps.

Greenbelt, Maryland – A Maryland woman received a prison term for her role in an unemployment insurance (UI) fraud conspiracy. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Kiara Smith, 28, of Prince George’s County, to 42 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges, in connection with the scheme.

Lakeia Simone Grant, aka Lakeia Shepperd, 40, of Newport News, was sentenced to over seven years in prison for COVID era unemployment insurance fraud scheme.