HARTFORD — Victoria Kates, 34, from New Britain, Connecticut, pleaded guilty Thursday to defrauding federal pandemic relief programs of more than $230,000, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut announced. Kates was charged with two counts of wire fraud for submitting false claims for unemployment benefits and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans between March 2020 and May 2021.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Kates filed fraudulent unemployment claims on behalf of family members, acquaintances, and others, collecting a portion of the benefits as a fee. For example, in August 2020, she filed a false unemployment claim for a friend, falsely claiming the individual was a self-employed driver. This application resulted in $27,993 in benefits, with Kates pocketing between $1,000 and $1,500.
When asked for verification, Kates provided a fake IRS form and a doctored photograph of an envelope to support the fraudulent claim. Additionally, Kates applied for and received $16,250 through the PPP in 2021, submitting false income information and fraudulent IRS documents. She later provided more false documentation to obtain loan forgiveness.
Kates now faces up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud charge. She is currently out on a $40,000 bond pending sentencing. The Department of Justice continues to urge individuals with information about fraud related to COVID-19 relief programs to report it to the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721.
