Robert Campbell Jr., a Corona man, has been sentenced to almost six years in prison for running a fraudulent scheme that siphoned $2.1 million in pandemic-related unemployment insurance from California's Employment Development Department (EDD), as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California.
From March 2020 through July 2021, Campbell and his accomplices used the personal data of 174 individuals, mainly salon and barbershop workers, to submit false applications for unemployment benefits. The fraudsters controlled the mailing addresses for receiving and using debit cards issued pursuant to these illegitimate applications.
The scheme also manipulated the hardship of ineligible claimants—out-of-state individuals and incarcerated persons, as confirmed by the U.S. Attorney's Office. This exploitation highlighted Campbell’s extensive misuse of the system, designed to help Californians affected by the pandemic.
Due to the increased demand for unemployment benefits, the EDD has experienced significant strains on its system. This has led to delayed payments to eligible beneficiaries and opportunities for fraudulent activities such as Campbell's to fall through the cracks.
As part of the sentencing, Campbell is required to pay $2,113,966 in restitution. This marks the end of the case, with seven other defendants having already received their sentences, ranging from probation to 18 months in federal prison.
Allegations of fraud related to COVID-19 can be reported by contacting the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or through the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
