In a recent federal court ruling, three Arizonans were sentenced for their involvement in a fraudulent scheme to obtain relief funds intended for those hardest hit by the pandemic's economic fallout. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona, Likishe Jhanell Kelly, Antoinette Coleman, and Christine Boston admitted to filing false pandemic unemployment benefits claims by exploiting the identities of incarcerated individuals and others.
Kelly, a Phoenix resident, received a 36-month prison sentence and was ordered to pay $375,094 in restitution for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Coleman, from Glendale, will face five years of probation and has been mandated to repay $19,678, while Boston from Mesa was also sentenced to 36 months and owes $97,596 in restitution. Kelly and Boston's sentences came after they entered guilty pleas to the charges last year, with Boston being incarcerated at the time of her involvement in the fraudulent activities.
The trio's scheme, as laid out by the prosecution, involved submitting at least 42 fraudulent applications between May and December of 2020, amassing roughly $375,094 in illicitly gained unemployment benefits. Christine Boston had used her position inside Arizona State Prison to obtain and pass on inmate information to her co-conspirators.
"During the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, Congress expanded eligibility for employees to receive unemployment benefits and made it easier to submit an application," US Attorney Gary Restaino was quoted in the press release. "Sadly, some Arizonans took advantage of the emergency and defrauded our State." Furthermore, Angie Rodgers, Director of the Arizona Department of Economic Security, highlighted the continuous collaboration between agencies to safeguard the integrity of the unemployment insurance benefits program against such fraudulent activities.
The Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General, along with the Arizona Department of Economic Security, conducted the investigation leading to these sentences. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Brook handled the prosecution of the case, which was tried before United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich.
