A Miami woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to an unemployment insurance (UI) benefits fraud scheme. Tamika Nicole Jones, 33, faces eight counts of wire fraud, seven counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of mail fraud. The indictment was unsealed after Jones was arrested in South Florida by Special Agents from the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG).
The announcement was made by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, along with Troy W. Springer, Special Agent in Charge for the National Capital Region at DOL-OIG.
According to the indictment, UI is a joint state and federal program that offers temporary financial assistance to eligible individuals who are unemployed through no fault of their own. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in March 2020, several federal programs expanded UI eligibility and increased benefits. These included the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, and Lost Wages Assistance Program.
In Maryland, residents applied for UI benefits online by providing personal information such as name and Social Security Number (SSN), as well as certifying their unemployment status due to COVID-19-related reasons. The Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) used this information to determine eligibility and distributed approved benefits electronically via debit cards.
The indictment alleges that between May 2020 and June 2021, Jones defrauded State Workforce Agencies including MD-DOL by impersonating victims using their personal identifying information to submit fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance.
If convicted on all charges, Jones could face up to 20 years in federal prison for wire and mail fraud charges. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison that must run consecutively with any other sentence imposed.
Federal sentencing is determined by a district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors; actual sentences are typically less than the maximum allowed by law.
It is noted that an indictment is not evidence of guilt; those charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five units created nationwide by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate large-scale pandemic relief fraud involving programs under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act—an effort aimed at addressing financial hardship caused by COVID-19 among Americans. These strike forces involve interagency teams led by prosecutors and data analysts focused on prosecuting major cases involving pandemic relief fund thefts committed by criminal organizations or transnational actors.
For more details about the Department’s efforts during the pandemic or how to report suspected COVID-19-related fraud, visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus or call the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or file a complaint at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Hayes recognized DOL-OIG’s role in investigating this case and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared M. Beim for prosecuting it.
Additional resources regarding priorities or reporting mechanisms are available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
