Victoria Tomeatre Green, a 29-year-old Des Moines resident, was sentenced on July 16 to 12 months and one day in federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $30,000 in restitution for wire fraud. According to public court documents, from March 2020 to December 2020, Green used her position as a contract employee of Iowa Workforce Development to fraudulently obtain $29,459.03 in unemployment benefits.
Green submitted 25 false benefit claims under her own name and another 27 using the means of identification of others. After serving her term of imprisonment, she will be required to complete a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
“By exploiting the identities of innocent individuals, Green brazenly stole funds intended to support unemployed American workers. Her guilty plea and sentencing reaffirm our unwavering commitment to pursuing fraud and holding every bad actor accountable,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor. “If you attempt to defraud the system—whether by stealing identities or abusing public trust—we will track you down and ensure you face the full consequences.”
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement regarding Green’s sentencing. The United States Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Lubben.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa handles civil and criminal cases for the United States with a team that includes 24 prosecutors operating within facilities such as those in the Neal Smith Federal Building in Des Moines as well as courthouses in Davenport and Council Bluffs; it also supports victims through its services unit while functioning under the United States Department of Justice covering this district, according to the official website.