BALTIMORE — A Burtonsville woman has pleaded guilty to her role in a federal unemployment insurance fraud scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
Vanessa Valdez, 42, entered her guilty plea in Baltimore, admitting to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with fraudulent claims filed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes announced the plea alongside Troy W. Springer, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and Evan Campanella, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Maryland.
According to prosecutors, the scheme operated from at least May 2020 through September 2021. Valdez and her co-conspirators used the personally identifiable information of others to submit fraudulent unemployment claims to the Maryland Department of Labor, diverting funds intended to help individuals impacted by the pandemic for personal use.
Valdez also admitted to fraudulently obtaining Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds, both created under the CARES Act to support businesses during the pandemic.
Valdez faces a maximum sentence of 22 years in federal prison, which includes a mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
