Current Events > Group stole $1.1M in unemployment benefits using fake businesses, prisoners IDs

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SodomInsane
07/10/20 5:03:23 PM
#1:


https://fox8.com/news/8-arrested-for-allegedly-stealing-1-1m-in-unemployment-benefits-fraud-scheme/

Eight people were arrested Tuesday for allegedly creating fake businesses to claim more than $1.1 million in unemployment benefits, officials said. The nine-count indictment unsealed Tuesday alleges a three-year conspiracy to cheat the California unemployment insurance program through the creation of fraudulent cleaning services and boutique stores, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office in Los Angeles. The indictment charges each of the eight defendants, at least six of whom are related, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. From February 2013 to July 2016, the eight allegedly registered fake businesses, including Latashas Devining Cleaning Service, Charm Boutique and Infinite Cleaning Service, with the California Employment Development Department, the states administrator for federal unemployment insurance benefits. Logie, Jolivet and Evelyn Taylor filed claims for unemployment insurance, claiming unemployment from the businesses created by their co-conspirators, according the U.S. Attorneys Office. Givens and her children, Laron Taylor and Raschell Taylor, allegedly opened and maintained post office boxes to receive mail for the fake businesses.

After being issued California EDD-funded debit cards, the defendants allegedly withdrew funds from cards in the name of others. They also used the names of prison inmates as phony employees to collect the unemployment insurance claims benefits, officials said. In total, they fraudulently gained approximately $1,106,282 in unemployment insurance benefits, according to the indictment. If convicted on all charges, each of the eight people face a maximum sentence of 22 years in federal prison, officials said.

Surprised the government didn't realize something was wrong when sooner when several prisoners somehow filed for unemployment while locked up.

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