Citrus Heights residents Deshawn Oshaea Campbell, 38, and Rochelle Pasley, 35, have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a $1 million unemployment insurance fraud scheme. U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta handed down sentences of seven years and three months for Campbell and five years and five months for Pasley. Both were also ordered to pay $1,157,000 in restitution, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez.
Court records show that between June 2020 and December 2020, Campbell and Pasley conspired to file 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 their consent. Many of these individuals did not live in California and were not eligible for EDD 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 investigation found that Campbell and Pasley used mailing addresses they controlled or those managed by family or friends when submitting false claims. More than 50 fraudulent claims were approved by EDD, leading Bank of America to issue debit cards containing benefit payments. The defendants then used these cards at ATMs throughout California and made direct purchases for personal gain.
“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 unemployment benefits theft, Campbell pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm after previously being convicted of a felony.
The case was investigated by several agencies: the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, and EDD – Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Delaney and Justin Lee prosecuted.
This prosecution is part of a broader effort led by a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force team organized by the Department of Justice as one of five teams across different regions targeting large-scale pandemic relief fraud schemes through joint law enforcement operations.
