ALBANY, NEW YORK — Jamie Johnson, a 38-year-old resident of Albany, was sentenced today to over three years in prison for her role in a scheme to fraudulently claim $701,441 in unemployment benefits. This fraudulent activity exploited the New York State Department of Labor’s (NYSDOL) unemployment insurance system, including funds from federal programs designed to support those unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Johnson admitted to using personal identifying information from others to submit false unemployment insurance applications through NYSDOL’s online platform. She collected the benefits using debit cards and was noted for withdrawing cash from Capital Region banks in a Maserati sport utility vehicle.
Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn imposed a 41-month prison sentence, a 3-year supervised release period following her prison term, and ordered Johnson to pay full restitution to the State of New York. The court also mandated the forfeiture of Johnson’s Maserati, over $200,000 in cash, and various jewelry items.
This case, highlighting efforts to combat pandemic-related fraud, was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua R. Rosenthal and Joseph S. Hartunian. It involved a collaboration between multiple agencies, including the New York State Inspector General’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, among others. The Department of Justice continues its robust efforts to tackle pandemic-related fraud through its COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force.