Three individuals have been indicted on charges related to a scheme that defrauded California's Employment Development Department (EDD) out of more than a million dollars in COVID-related unemployment benefits, as announced by U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. The arrests took place across several states, with Yolanda Butler apprehended in Oklahoma, her son Legerrius Holt in Colorado, and Quamaine Massey in Ohio, according to a statement made by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California.
In a federal grand jury indictment dated August 7, 2025, Butler, 49, and Holt, 28, who formerly resided in Stockton, along with Massey, 33, formerly from North Carolina, are accused of filing at least 69 false unemployment insurance benefit claims, deploying the stolen personal information of dozens to carry out their scheme. Between April 2020 and June 2021, the prepaid debit cards loaded with fraudulent benefits were sent, which included dozens arriving at Butler and Holt's previous address in Stockton and at least three sent to Massey’s residence in North Carolina.
Court documents reveal that once the prepaid debit cards were in the defendants' possession, they were activated and used for personal expenses. The collective actions of the defendants caused the EDD and the United States to pay over $1.1 million, while the total attempted theft surpassed $1.4 million. The investigation that brought the fraudulent activities to light involved several agencies, including the U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow is prosecuting the case.
The consequences facing the defendants are severe, with a possible sentence of up to 20 years for mail fraud, while Butler and Holt could receive an additional mandatory two-year sentence for the charge of aggravated identity theft. A fine of up to $250,000 could also be imposed on each count. However, any eventual sentence will be up to the court's judgment after considering statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines. Though the charges remain allegations at this point, the accused will be presumed innocent until proven guilty, as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California.
The arrests are part of an ongoing effort waged by the California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force, an initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Justice. This particular strike force concentrates on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud, a problem exacerbated during the crisis caused by COVID-19. By fusing law enforcement and prosecutorial resources from the Eastern and Central Districts of California, the team aims to identify and prosecute criminal organizations and transnational actors responsible for misappropriating pandemic relief funds.
