3 days Ago
SAN DIEGO, California — Regina Brice, a former employee of the California Employment Development Department, was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison for filing fraudulent unemployment claims totaling $858,339. The scheme diverted funds intended for pandemic relief, according to court documents. Brice, a 43-year-old from San Diego, California, had been with the EDD since 2010 and was responsible for processing COVID-related unemployment claims.
Between July 2020 and May 2021, she used her position to manipulate and file fraudulent claims for co-conspirators, including California prison inmates, in exchange for bribes, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
"This defendant turned her back on the oath of her office and those she was supposed to help during a once-in-a-century pandemic," said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden.
Quentin Heiden, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General, added that Brice "violated the public trust afforded to her as an EDD employee to enrich herself and others.
" DHS Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari emphasized the importance of prioritizing pandemic-related fraud investigations, stating, "Regina Brice defrauded government programs meant to help Americans at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic." Matt Shields, Inspector in Charge of the U.
S. Postal Inspection Service in Los Angeles Division, commended the efforts of inspectors and law enforcement partners, noting that the sentencing "marks a significant victory for justice and accountability." The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.
S. Attorney Ronald Sou. Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it to the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline.
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