Citrus Heights residents Deshawn Oshaea Campbell, 38, and Rochelle Pasley, 35, have been sentenced for their roles in a $1 million unemployment insurance fraud scheme. U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta sentenced Campbell to seven years and three months in prison and Pasley to five years and five months. Both were ordered to pay $1,157,000 in restitution, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez.
Court documents state that between June 2020 and December 2020, Campbell and Pasley conspired to submit fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with the California Employment Development Department (EDD). They sought Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits under the CARES Act by using the identities of other individuals without authorization. Many of these individuals did not reside in California and were not eligible for benefits.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has been committed to combatting fraud that abuses the provisions of the CARES Act,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sanchez. “We will continue to prosecute fraud arising out of the pandemic and bring offenders to justice.”
The defendants used mailing addresses they controlled or those managed by family and friends when submitting claims. The EDD approved over 50 fraudulent claims and authorized Bank of America to issue debit cards loaded with benefit funds. Campbell and Pasley obtained these cards and withdrew cash at ATMs across California or made direct purchases for personal use. The total loss exceeded $1 million.
“These defendants stole from our nation’s unemployment insurance program by fraudulently filing for UI benefits in the names of individuals who were not entitled to such benefits. They took advantage of the UI program at a time when so many deserving American workers were suffering from pandemic-related economic challenges. The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General remains committed to combating UI fraud and holding individuals accountable for their fraudulent schemes. I would like to acknowledge the outstanding investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the California Employment Development Department-Investigations Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California in this collaborative investigative effort,” said Quentin Heiden, Special Agent-in-Charge, Western Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
In addition to mail fraud charges related to this scheme, Campbell also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm after being previously convicted of a felony.
The investigation was conducted by several agencies including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, and EDD – Investigation Division; prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Delaney and Justin Lee.
This case is part of a broader initiative under a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation organized by the Department of Justice as one among five teams nationwide focused on large-scale pandemic relief fraud involving criminal organizations.
