Lady serving life time period for mother’s homicide sentenced to 7 extra years for COVID-19 unemployment fraud

A California girl locked up for all times for the first-degree homicide of her mom in 2001 was sentenced Monday to seven extra years for her position in a COVID-19 unemployment advantages fraud scheme.

Natalie Le DeMola, 38, was incarcerated on the California Institution for Women in Corona when she started main a fraud scheme in June 2020. DeMola and her co-conspirators stole private figuring out info, together with Social Security numbers.

The victims focused have been ineligible for COVID-19 unemployment advantages in California for various causes, together with retirement, gainful employment, or being incarcerated. Some of DeMola’s fellow inmates have been amongst those that had their identities stolen.

Using the stolen identities, the members filed fraudulent functions for unemployment advantages. The group’s beneficiaries have been then ready to make use of debit playing cards supplied by the California Employment Development Department to withdraw cash from ATM machines in Southern California.

Until the scheme was halted in 2021, the conspiracy stole $1,546,933. DeMola, as a part of her sentencing, will likely be required to pay again $933,181 in restitution.

“[Demola] made a cost-benefit analysis and decided that the money and influence, including among fellow inmates, that she stood to gain was worth the additional penalties she faced if she were caught,” prosecutors argued in courtroom paperwork, as cited in a launch by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

There have been 13 convictions within the case. DeMola was convicted on March 7 of 1 depend of conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud and wire fraud, three counts of financial institution fraud, and one depend of aggravated id theft.