A former Amtrak employee has been sentenced to over two years in federal prison for her involvement in a scheme to defraud nearly $1 million in COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits. Lizette Berrios Lathon, 48, from Moreno Valley, was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando M. Olguin to 25 months and ordered to pay $1,061,667 in restitution.
Lizette Lathon admitted guilt in November 2022 on charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and wire fraud. Her husband, Kenneth Andrew Lathon, had already been sentenced in July 2024 to 54 months in federal prison with a restitution order of $998,630.
The couple exploited the expanded eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits under the CARES Act. They submitted fraudulent applications using personal details obtained without consent from former clients of Lizette’s tax preparation businesses. This led to Bank of America issuing debit cards that were misused by the Lathons.
Additionally, Lizette schemed to defraud the Railroad Retirement Board out of sickness benefit payments totaling approximately $63,047 by filing false claims about medical treatment.
Investigations into these activities were conducted by several federal agencies including the Amtrak Office of Inspector General and others.
Assistant United States Attorney Cory L. Burleson prosecuted these cases.
Reports of attempted COVID-19 fraud can be made through the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline or their online complaint form.
