Attorney General Kris Mayes has successfully prosecuted Katherine Comesano and Gary Cartier, culprits behind a $200,000+ pandemic unemployment fraud scheme. The couple's deception came to an end when they were both handed 2.5-year prison sentences after pleading guilty in Maricopa County Superior Court. Mayes made it clear that her office is steadfast in its pursuit of fraudsters. "Protecting taxpayer dollars from fraud is one of the most important duties of my office. I’m proud of the members of my team who continue to diligently uncover individuals abusing government systems and hold them accountable to the full extent of the law," she said in a statement obtained by the Attorney General's Office.
The fraud, amounting to over $200,000, was stolen from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance programs of Arizona and California. The couple submitted a total of 24 sham applications, occasionally even under their own names but with falsified employment or residency details. To bankroll a series of Airbnbs across the valley and purchase vehicles at auctions, Comesano and Cartier used the ill-gotten funds. A substantial amount was ordered to be paid back in criminal restitution—$209,659 to be exact. The Department of Economic Security's Michael Wisehart emphasized the critical nature of the assistance programs, stating, "Pandemic Unemployment Assistance was a critical lifeline for families, and those who abuse the system and commit fraud undermine the systems people rely on," as mentioned on the Arizona Attorney General's Office website.
Investigative efforts by Arizona's Department of Economic Security Office of Inspector General and the Department of Homeland Security COVID Fraud Unit led to the unraveling of this felonious enterprise. The adept work of Assistant Attorney General Matthew Ashton helped to ensure the perpetrators were brought to justice. When law enforcement officials arrested Comesano and Cartier, they stumbled upon a notebook that contained listings of fraudulent information that could be used to apply for COVID relief funds in various states, including notes on which states were the most lucrative targets.
For more information, to view the indictment, or see the booking photos of Comesano and Cartier, visit the Attorney General's website.
