PHOENIX, Ariz. — Three women from the Phoenix Valley have been sentenced for their roles in a COVID-19 unemployment fraud scheme that involved filing fake benefit claims using stolen identities, including those of inmates who were not eligible for assistance.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, the women filed around 42 fraudulent applications between May and December 2020, ultimately stealing $375,094 in federal pandemic unemployment funds.
The Defendants:
Likishe Kelly, 43, of Phoenix
Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on Nov. 21, 2023
Sentenced to 36 months in prison
Ordered to pay $375,094 in restitution to the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES)
Christine Boston, 52, of Mesa
Pleaded guilty on Jan. 3, 2024
Sentenced to 36 months in prison on July 9, 2025
Ordered to pay $97,596 in restitution
Antoinette Coleman, 36, of Glendale
Pleaded guilty on Jan. 16, 2024
Sentenced to five years of probation
Ordered to repay $19,678
How the Scheme Worked:
While incarcerated at Arizona State Prison in Goodyear, Boston began collecting personal information of fellow inmates and recruited Coleman via email. Coleman then helped submit the applications for pandemic-related unemployment benefits.
Once processed, Kelly would file the applications and weekly certifications, ultimately receiving the funds. In return, Kelly deposited money into Boston’s prison commissary account as payment for the stolen identities.
Authorities say the scheme involved false claims under the names of inmates who had not lost employment due to the pandemic, making them ineligible for benefits.
