Conspiracy to Commit Identity Theft and Bank Fraud: California Unemployment Insurance Scheme

A group of 13 individuals, including Natalie Le Demola, a woman serving a life prison sentence for murder, and Mykara Destiny Robinson, the final defendant to plead guilty, were involved in a conspiracy that stole identities of California prison inmates and others to fraudulently obtain over $993,181 in state unemployment insurance benefits. The scheme, which began in June 2020, involved using personal identifying information (PII) to make fraudulent online applications for UI benefits from the California Employment Development Department (EDD). Members of the conspiracy would then use EDD-funded debit cards to withdraw money from ATMs across Southern California.

Key Takeaways:

• The conspiracy, led by Natalie Le Demola, involved at least 13 individuals, including Mykara Destiny Robinson, who pleaded guilty to bank fraud.
• The scheme began in June 2020 and continued until October 2020, with Robinson and her co-conspirators using 10 debit cards to withdraw a total of approximately $68,742 in fraudulently obtained EDD funds.
• The conspiracy stole the identities of California prison inmates and others, using the PII to make fraudulent online applications for UI benefits from the EDD.
• The investigation, led by the Los Angeles El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, involved a multi-agency task force including federal and state investigators.
• Robinson faces a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison, while Demola and Plummer face up to 32 years and 30 years, respectively.
• The California Employment Development Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the United States Department of Labor -- Office of Inspector General, the Inglewood Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service participated in the investigation.
• Assistant United States Attorneys David C. Lachman and Nisha Chandran are prosecuting the case.