COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Franklin County grand jury has indicted 15 individuals, including Markeya Smith, Brandi Smith, and Shirkara Reggins, for their roles in a $7.3 million Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) fraud scheme, one of the largest of its kind in Ohio.
The charges, announced by the Ohio Office of the Inspector General, stem from fraudulent claims made through the PUA program, which was designed to support workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The indictment includes charges of:
Engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity
Theft
Tampering with records
Telecommunication fraud
Money laundering
How the Scheme Worked
In October 2022, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) flagged suspicious activity linked to PUA claims. Investigators found that Markeya Smith, a contractor with ODJFS via Randstad, used her access to illegally inflate incomes and clear issues on benefit applications, enabling higher payouts.
Her cousin, Brandi Smith, also accessed and authorized fraudulent claims. The two were connected to Shirkara Reggins of Canal Winchester, who operated under the alias Cherita Reggins while employed by Insight Global and later ODJFS.
Reggins is accused of personally enabling over $3.5 million in fraudulent claims, while Markeya Smith was linked to more than $3 million, and Brandi Smith to $600,000.
The trio allegedly received cash and electronic payments from the claimants and used recruiters to identify others willing to participate in the scam in exchange for inflated benefits.
List of Additional Indicted Co-Conspirators:
Jahlil Suber-Richardson (Columbus)
Carolyn Slaughter (Lewis Center)
Tarik Chukes (Columbus)
Alice Cowans (Columbus)
Artania Gordon (Columbus)
Natasha Davis (Reynoldsburg)
Danielle Johnson (Canal Winchester)
China Hester (Columbus)
Eboni Goods (Columbus)
Amber White (Reynoldsburg)
Ashley Boyce (Houston)
Tereka Daniels (Huntington, WV)
Each faces similar charges related to theft, fraud, and money laundering.
Ongoing Investigation
Officials describe the operation as highly coordinated and deliberate, with insiders exploiting their positions to manipulate a system meant to help struggling Ohioans during the pandemic.
This case is part of a larger federal and state effort to prosecute pandemic-related financial crimes. Authorities continue to investigate potential additional fraud linked to the group.
