Joshua S. Levy, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts
A Malden woman has been sentenced for fraudulently obtaining over $100,000 from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. Teshawnda Knight, 41, received an 18-month prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs also ordered Knight to pay $105,250 in restitution and forfeiture.
Knight pleaded guilty in July 2024 to one count of wire fraud after being arrested in February 2024 alongside more than 40 members and associates of the Heath Street Gang. The group faced charges including racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking, firearms charges, and financial frauds related to COVID-19.
Between April 2020 and August 2021, Knight submitted three fraudulent PUA applications—two in Massachusetts and one in Indiana—resulting in $105,250 in benefits.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Hoefle prosecuted the case.
This sentencing is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations through a coordinated approach.
In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to enhance efforts against pandemic-related fraud. The task force works with various agencies to investigate criminal actors involved in such schemes.
Reports of attempted COVID-19-related fraud can be submitted via the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline or Web Complaint Form.
