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Published on January 14, 2025
Former D.C. Department of Human Services Employee and Accomplice Plead Guilty to ExtortionSource: Unsplash/Tingey Injury Law Firm

Ruth Nivar, a former employee of the D.C. Department of Human Services, and her accomplice, Yessica Moya, pleaded guilty to extortion. Nivar used her job to demand illegal payments from people who were applying for government assistance. The two women targeted vulnerable individuals seeking help from public programs, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The U.S. Attorney's Office detailed how from at least 2018 through May 2023, Nivar exploited her official authority to collect money from applicants—funds neither she nor the District were entitled to. Her sentencing hearing is set for April 25, by U.S. District Court Chief Judge James E. Boasberg. Moya, who assisted in the extortion scheme, pleaded guilty last Wednesday, to aiding and abetting the extortion alongside one count of conspiracy to commit the same crime. Her sentencing hearing, informed by the officials, remains unscheduled.

Nivar, a government worker, used her access to DHS data to help Moya create fake healthcare applications, tricking victims into paying for services they should have received for free. In 2022, Moya joined the scheme, and they split the profits. The FBI and D.C. Office of Inspector General uncovered the scheme, which targeted vulnerable individuals. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Madhu Chugh and Will Hart, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.