The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington recently announced a former Washington state employment security employee pleaded guilty to three felony counts.
Reyes De La Cruz III, 48, of Moses Lake, Washington, was able to amass $130,000 in a scheme to fraudulently distribute pandemic-related unemployment benefits, according to a June 22 press release.
The Department of Justice claims De La Cruz used his position for financial gain, the release stated.
“We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to prosecute those who used the cover of the pandemic to unlawfully enrich themselves,” U.S. Attorney Nick Brown said in the release. “In this case, De La Cruz’s betrayal of public trust during a time of national crisis is particularly egregious.”
De La Cruz was arrested in September 2021 at Moses Lake, according to the release. He has been in federal custody since his arrest.
Quentin Heiden, special agent-in-charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Los Angeles Region, noted in the release that De La Cruz was hired by the state to help with a deluge of unemployment insurance claims amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Heiden also said that De La Cruz took advantage of the situation to divert funds away from people who desperately needed them.
The Department of Labor considers protecting unemployment insurance a key priority, Heiden said.
The department will work with law enforcement to safeguard benefits to the people who are in need, he added.
