Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A former corrections officer from the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department has pleaded guilty to multiple counts of fraud related to COVID-19 relief programs. Christnel Orisca, 25, of Boston, admitted in federal court to five counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution. The charges stem from his efforts to obtain funds through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, traditional unemployment insurance, and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), all established under the CARES Act.
According to prosecutors, Orisca submitted fraudulent information on applications for pandemic unemployment and small business loan benefits while he was working full-time for a security company and later for a delivery company. Despite his employment status, Orisca collected about $54,700 in unemployment benefits and PPP funds before he joined the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department in late 2021.
In his PUA application, authorities said Orisca falsely claimed he was not working or receiving income each week. For the PPP loans, he made false statements regarding the income and payroll of businesses he claimed to own. He also provided inaccurate information on forms requesting forgiveness for those loans.
Orisca’s arrest took place in December 2024. Sentencing is scheduled for March 11, 2026 by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick.
The charge of wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Making false statements to a financial institution can result in up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Final sentences are determined by federal judges based on guidelines and statutes relevant to criminal cases.
“United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today.” The investigation received assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Police Department and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Chao is leading prosecution efforts as Chief of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit.
The case aligns with broader federal efforts against pandemic-related fraud led by the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force formed by the Attorney General on May 17, 2021. The task force coordinates across government agencies to investigate fraud related to relief programs established during the pandemic period.
More details about these initiatives can be found at https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
Members of the public who have information about attempted COVID-19-related fraud are encouraged to report it through an online form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
