Allegheny Count Women Indicted for $450K Unemployment Fraud

PITTSBURGH – A triple whammy of swindles has hit Allegheny County as three women were hit with federal charges for their alleged roles in a scheme to steal unemployment compensation benefits, totaling over $450,000. According to United States Attorney David J. Hickton, each suspect—Jennifer Lang, 39, from Pittsburgh; Sandra Delval, 39, of Carnegie; and Sharday Thornhill, 27, from Turtle Creek—has been separately indicted for their respective crimes.

The indictments detail how the accused are alleged to have siphoned off unemployment compensation that they knew was not theirs. Lang, Delval, and Thornhill each face a potential sentence of up to 12 years in prison and fines reaching $450,000.

Assistant United States Attorney Koleen Kirkwood is leading the prosecution against the accused, while the Inspector General for Tax Administration’s Debt Management Section conducted the investigation that led to their arraignment. As always, an indictment is merely an accusation, and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentences will be determined by the severity of the crimes and any prior criminal history of the defendants. This isn’t the first time Allegheny County has seen such high-profile financial misconduct, raising concerns about the integrity of the unemployment compensation system.

The case serves as a stark reminder of the lengths some individuals will go to in order to enrich themselves at the expense of public funds. The community is urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity related to government benefits.