Jason M. Frierson U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada
A Las Vegas man has been sentenced for his involvement in a scheme to defraud unemployment insurance. Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon handed down the sentence of 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release to Lavell Deshon Roberts. The court found Roberts guilty of illegally obtaining nearly $240,000 in unemployment insurance benefits.
On July 15, 2020, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Roberts. During the search of the vehicle he was driving, officers discovered a pistol, $50,000 in money orders, and ten debit cards issued by the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation.
Between June and July 2020, Roberts used the cards to unlawfully withdraw unemployment benefits from ATMs located in Texas, resulting in a financial loss of $238,940. Roberts, along with co-defendant Corey Marcus Valrey, was indicted by a grand jury in October 2022. Roberts admitted to one count of wire fraud, while Valrey pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Valrey's sentencing is scheduled for July 11, 2025.
In addition to his prison time, Roberts has been ordered to pay restitution for the amount defrauded.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Karon Ransom for the United States Secret Service made the announcement. The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, with Assistant United States Attorneys Mina Chang and Kimberly Frayn handling the prosecution.
