A woman from Southern California was sentenced to imprisonment for stealing nearly one million dollars through a scheme that targeted Covid-19 unemployment.
Women have been identified as Lizette Berrios Lathon, 48, from Mourino Valley, according to the US Public Prosecutor’s Office. Beside her husband, Kenneth Andrew Laton, 50, worked during the scheme.
Besides the theft associated with Covid, Lesteit is a former employee in Amrac that also got more than $ 63,000 of the advantages of the disease while working in the railway company, the prosecutors said.
Covid’s crimes occurred from 2020 to March 2021. From 2014 to at least September 2022, Lizette was running at least three tax preparation companies located in Los Angeles and Mourino Valley.
Prosecutors said that the spouses benefited from the expanded eligibility to obtain the advantages of unemployment securing in which it became possible for the Relief, Relief and Economic Security Law in 2020.
Lizette has made fraudulent requests with the California Employment Development (EDD) using names, social security numbers, and personal information that were stolen from its former customers who used their tax preparation companies.
EDD officials authorized the debit cards for the names of the victims, but the cards were sent to the mail to the Lizette -controlled addresses. The authorities said that she and Kenneth used the discount cards to perform cash withdrawals in ATMs and spend money on personal things.
Through this scheme, the couple made at least 44 demands for fraudulent unemployment and raised about 998,630 dollars.
Lizit worked at AMTRAK from 2000 to 2021. From September 2014 to January 2020, prosecutors said she had defrauded the Railways Retirement Council motivated by the disease payments by “submitting forged and forged claims stated that they were treated by a medical specialist for pain and anxiety.”
Informed, about $ 63,047 of the disease benefits payments through this scheme.
In November 2022, Lestet acknowledged that she was guilty of one charge of conspiracy to commit fraud and fraud on wires, a charge of stealing strict identity and wire fraud charge.
Her husband, Kenneth, acknowledged that he was guilty of one charge of conspiracy to commit fraud and fraud in wires, one charge of stealing the strict identity, and the charge of possessing an illegal firearm by a convicted criminal.
In July 2024, he was sentenced to 54 months in prison and ordered that $ 998,630 to compensate. The court documents said that he also owns a 22 -caliber rifle and a 12 -size rifle despite its criminal history, which included a felony conviction in the California State Court on charges of theft, possession of cocaine and fraud.
On July 17, 2025, Lizit was sentenced to 25 months in prison and ordered to pay $ 1,061,667 in response.
Anyone with information about the fraud at the COVID-19 can report this by calling the hot center of the Ministry of Justice to fraud in disasters on the number 866-720-5721 or online through the NCDF.