Tyshion Nautese Hicks, a 32-year-old resident of Vienna, Georgia, was sentenced Thursday to 12 years in federal prison for her role in a massive scheme that defrauded the Georgia Department of Labor (GaDOL) of tens of millions of dollars in unemployment benefits intended to assist individuals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Following her prison term, Hicks will serve three years of supervised release, with restitution details to be determined later, as announced by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Details of the Fraudulent Scheme
One of the Largest COVID Fraud Cases
“This case marks one of the largest COVID fraud schemes ever prosecuted,” stated Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, who leads the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. Hicks and her co-conspirators filed over 5,000 fraudulent COVID unemployment insurance claims using stolen identities, unlawfully obtaining more than $30 million in benefits.
Execution of the Scheme
From March 2020 to November 2022, Hicks and her associates submitted numerous false claims to GaDOL, leading to the theft of at least $30 million in unemployment benefits. To execute their scheme, they created fictitious employers and fabricated lists of employees using stolen personally identifiable information (PII) from thousands of victims.
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Methods of Data Theft
Acquisition of Stolen Identities
According to court documents, Hicks and her co-conspirators acquired PII from various sources, including purchasing it online and bribing an employee of an Atlanta healthcare network to steal patient information from the hospital’s database. This stolen data was crucial in facilitating their fraudulent claims.
Diversion of Fraudulent Proceeds
The co-conspirators directed funds from these fraudulent claims to prepaid debit cards, which were mailed to addresses in Cordele, Vienna, and nearby locations. Investigators uncovered that Hicks bribed a U.S. Postal Service carrier to divert mail containing debit cards loaded with over $512,000 in fraudulent proceeds directly to her.
Conclusion
“The sentence received by the defendant is a testament to the IRS Criminal Investigation’s dedication to investigating and prosecuting individuals who attempt to defraud agencies by filing fraudulent claims using another person’s identifying information,” stated Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman of the IRS Criminal Investigation Atlanta Field Office. The case highlights the ongoing efforts to combat fraud and protect public resources, especially during challenging times like the COVID-19 pandemic.
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