Uncovering fraudulent activities during unprecedented times is always unsettling. In a recent case in Phoenix, three individuals resorted to using the identities of prison inmates to apply for pandemic relief benefits illegally. This devious scheme came to light when the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Arizona announced their convictions.
Likishe Jhanell Kelly, Christine Boston, and Antoinette Coleman were the masterminds behind this elaborate fraud. They submitted up to 42 fake applications for unemployment benefits throughout 2020, totaling about $492,000 in restitution to the Arizona Department of Economic Security.
Kelly, who orchestrated the scam, was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay back $375,094. Boston, who was incarcerated at the time, actively participated by providing inmate information to Kelly and Coleman. She received a three-year prison sentence and a restitution order of $97,596.
Meanwhile, Coleman received a lighter sentence of five years of probation and a $19,678 restitution order. This trio’s illegal activities shed light on similar cases in Arizona, showing the extent of fraudulent actions taken during the pandemic.
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