SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Three individuals have been arrested in connection with a COVID-related unemployment insurance fraud scheme targeting the California Employment Development Department (EDD).
The arrests, coordinated by multiple law enforcement agencies and announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, involved Yolanda Butler and her son, Legerrius Holt, formerly of Stockton, as well as Quamaine Massey, formerly of North Carolina. Butler was arrested in Oklahoma, Holt in Colorado, and Massey in Ohio.
The defendants face charges of mail fraud, with Butler and Holt additionally charged with aggravated identity theft.
Authorities allege the trio filed at least 69 fraudulent unemployment claims using stolen personal information, resulting in over $1.1 million in wrongful payments. The defendants are accused of spending the money on personal expenses.
If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison for mail fraud. Butler and Holt face an additional two years for identity theft, along with potential fines of up to $250,000 per count.
The case is part of the California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force, a multi-agency effort targeting pandemic relief fraud, especially large-scale schemes.
The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
