Tabitha Leigh Markle, a 53-year-old resident of Sacramento, was sentenced to four years and two months in prison for mail fraud and aggravated identity theft related to a scheme targeting the unemployment insurance benefit program during the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez.
“Today’s sentencing highlights the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s continuing efforts to actively prosecute fraud against the unemployment insurance program that served as a lifeline for millions during the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Sanchez. “We are committed to ensuring unemployment benefits go to the unemployed who need the assistance, not to thieves who believe they are above the law.”
According to authorities, Markle unlawfully obtained over $2.5 million in unemployment insurance benefits intended for those affected by pandemic-related job losses. Quentin Heiden, Special Agent-in-Charge for the Western Region of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, stated: “Tabitha Markle unlawfully obtained over $2.5 million in COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits by using the personal identifying information of other people, including several inmates in California state prisons, to file fraudulent claims. She falsified employment records to make it appear that the claimants were eligible for benefits when, in fact, they were not. Many of these individuals were unwitting participants in her scheme. The illegally obtained unemployment insurance funds, which Markle used for personal gain, were intended to support American workers facing economic hardship during an unprecedented public health crisis.”
Court documents reveal that between April 2020 and January 2021, Markle collected personally identifiable information such as names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers from various individuals and submitted fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance benefits through California’s Employment Development Department (EDD). Debit cards linked to these false claims were mailed to addresses controlled by Markle or her associates. These cards were then used at ATMs across California to withdraw cash; surveillance images often captured Markle and others making large withdrawals.
In one instance cited by prosecutors, Markle used a victim’s identification without consent—filing a false claim with EDD using accurate personal details but substituting contact information she controlled so she could access funds issued on behalf of that individual.
The investigation involved multiple agencies: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General; California EDD – Investigation Division; and United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dhruv Sharma prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of a broader initiative under the California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation—one of five interagency teams established nationwide by the U.S. Department of Justice focused on combating large-scale pandemic relief fraud.
