Woman Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Leading Scheme to Fraudulently Obtain $1.5 Million in Unemployment Benefits

Strategic Insights -

A 38-year-old woman serving a life sentence in a California state prison for murder was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for leading a ring that fraudulently obtained approximately $1.5 million in California unemployment insurance benefits. The scheme, which lasted from June 2020 to April 2021, involved using stolen identities to obtain mostly pandemic-related relief. Natalie Le Demola, currently incarcerated at the California Institution for Women in Corona, was also ordered to pay $933,181 in restitution. Demola's co-conspirators acquired personally identifiable information of individuals, including identity theft victims, and used it to make fraudulent online applications for unemployment benefits, resulting in a total loss of $1,546,933.

Key Takeaways:

  • Natalie Le Demola, 38, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for leading a scheme to fraudulently obtain $1.5 million in California unemployment insurance benefits.
  • The scheme involved using stolen identities to obtain mostly pandemic-related relief and resulted in a total loss of $1,546,933.
  • Demola was also ordered to pay $933,181 in restitution for her role in the conspiracy.
  • The investigation into the scheme was conducted by the HSI-led Los Angeles El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency task force that includes federal and state investigators focused on financial crimes in Southern California.
  • 13 guilty pleas were secured in this case, and the investigation involved cooperation from 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.
  • Demola is currently serving a life sentence in a California state prison for the first-degree murder of her mother. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and wire fraud.

Statistics:

  • The scheme lasted from June 2020 to April 2021, resulting in a total loss of $1,546,933.
  • Natalie Le Demola was ordered to pay $933,181 in restitution.
  • The HSI-led Los Angeles El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency task force, was responsible for investigating the scheme.
  • 13 guilty pleas were secured in this case.
  • Over 8,700 employees work for the HSI, with more than 6,000 special agents stationed in 237 U.S. cities and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries.

Sources:

  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement press release
  • HT Media Ltd. article
  • Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info)