Michele Beckwith Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
Rochelle Pasley, a 34-year-old resident of Citrus Heights, has entered a guilty plea to charges related to her involvement in a scheme to defraud the California Employment Development Department (EDD) out of over $1 million. The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith.
Court documents reveal that between June and December 2020, Pasley and Deshawn Oshaea Campbell, 36, also from Citrus Heights, conspired to file fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with the EDD. These claims sought Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits under the CARES Act. The defendants allegedly used stolen identities to submit numerous false claims stating that claimants had lost employment or were unable to find work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many individuals whose identities were used did not reside in California and were therefore ineligible for these benefits.
The fraudulent applications included mailing addresses controlled by Pasley and Campbell or their associates. As a result, more than 50 fraudulent claims were approved by EDD, leading Bank of America to issue debit cards containing benefits which the defendants then used for personal gain through ATM withdrawals and direct purchases across California.
This investigation was conducted by several agencies including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, and the EDD – Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Delaney and Justin Lee are handling prosecution duties.
Pasley's sentencing is set for June 26, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta. She faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of conspiracy and mail fraud as well as an additional mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft. However, her actual sentence will be determined based on statutory factors and Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Charges against Campbell remain pending; he is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
