LOS ANGELES – A South Los Angeles woman was sentenced Thursday to four years and seven months behind bars for fraudulently obtaining more than $1.3 million dollars in COVID-19 pandemic-related jobless benefits by falsely claiming that she was unemployed when, in fact, she was employed full-time as a contractor at a state agency.
Lavinnciea Rose Nelson, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Maame E. Frimpong, who also ordered her to pay $1.36 million in restitution, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Nelson pleaded guilty in December in Los Angeles federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Nelson impersonated others to apply online for government benefits that she used for herself. She also used the personal identifying information provided by her co-conspirators to apply for government benefits on their behalf, knowing her associates were not eligible for benefits.
Nelson also applied for unemployment insurance benefits and disability insurance benefits while still employed as a contract employee for the state Employment Development Department, the DOJ said.
“The identified losses from (Nelson’s) scheme almost all came from government programs designed to help the neediest, such as disability and unemployment insurance,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “By cynically exploiting these programs for personal gain, (Nelson) diverted their limited resources away from their intended purpose. Worse, her actions undermine welfare programs generally.”
