A Westwego woman, 34-year-old Reha Janee Arvie, has entered a guilty plea for engaging in a mail fraud scheme that targeted unemployment insurance offices in multiple states. According to the announcement by Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson, Arvie could face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, along with a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gain or loss from her actions, after the September 10, 2025 sentencing, the U.S. Attorney's Office revealed.
The case, laid out in an indictment, outlines that beginning around July 2020, Arvie had orchestrated the submission of around 100 fraudulent unemployment insurance applications across various states, including Arizona, California, and Texas, and as far-reaching as the territory of Guam. A statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office reveals Arvie even utilized Facebook to recruit friends and family to partake in the fraudulent activity. For her services, she reportedly charged fees between $1,200 and $1,500, with ill-gotten gains from California's Employment Development Department amounting to over $267,000.
Detailed in the Justice Department notice, during the investigation into the fraudulent activity, Arvie lied to federal agents—an action that may only compound her legal challenges. Her sentencing by United States District Judge Sarah S. Vance will draw the case to a close later this year, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Established in response to the surge of fraudulent activities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force has played a strategic role in cracking down on criminal actors attempting to profit from pandemic-related relief programs. It sits as a testament to the government's intensified efforts to safeguard the integrity of economic relief efforts. Individuals in possession of knowledge regarding attempted COVID-19-related fraud are encouraged to contact the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office website.
Various agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Labor, collaborated in bringing Arvie's scheme to light. The prosecution by Assistant United States Attorney Brian M. Klebba underscores the continued vigilance of financial crime units against those who exploit relief systems designed to support the struggling American public during times of crisis.
