Butler, Holt & Massey Nabbed in $1.1M COVID Fraud

Stockton Roots, Nationwide Grift: A brazen scheme to steal over $1.1 million from California’s COVID-ravaged unemployment system has landed three individuals in federal custody. Yolanda Butler, 49, formerly of Stockton, was arrested in Oklahoma. Her son, Legerrius Holt, 28, also formerly of Stockton, was apprehended in Colorado. The third defendant, Quamaine Massey, 33, previously of North Carolina, was taken into custody in Ohio. The trio are accused of exploiting the pandemic to line their pockets, preying on a system designed to help those most in need.

On August 7, 2025, a federal grand jury slapped the defendants with a four-count indictment, alleging mail fraud. Yolanda Butler and Legerrius Holt face the additional charge of aggravated identity theft. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, led by Eric Grant, says the scheme unfolded between April 2020 and June 2021, specifically targeting the California Employment Development Department (EDD) and its administration of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program under the 2020 CARES Act.

According to court documents, the defendants allegedly obtained the personally identifiable information (PII) of dozens of unsuspecting individuals. They then filed at least 69 fraudulent unemployment claims using these stolen identities. The EDD, overwhelmed by the surge in applications during the pandemic, approved many of these bogus claims, sending prepaid debit cards loaded with benefits to addresses controlled by the defendants. Dozens were shipped to Butler and Holt’s home in Stockton, and at least three went to Massey’s residence in North Carolina.

Once the cards arrived, the defendants allegedly activated them and spent the fraudulently obtained funds on themselves. The total loss to EDD and the United States exceeds $1.1 million, with an intended loss exceeding $1.4 million. This wasn’t a case of a few desperate individuals; this was a calculated, coordinated effort to exploit a crisis and steal from a vital safety net.

The investigation, a joint effort by the U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, the FBI, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Department of Homeland Security-Office of Inspector General, and California EDD, demonstrates the scope of pandemic-related fraud. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow is leading the prosecution. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for mail fraud. Butler and Holt also face a mandatory two-year addition for aggravated identity theft.

A maximum fine of $250,000 per count looms over the defendants, but any sentencing will ultimately be at the discretion of the court, considering statutory factors and federal Sentencing Guidelines. It’s crucial to remember these are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of the California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force, one of five teams established by the Department of Justice to combat large-scale pandemic relief fraud, utilizing data analysis and prosecutorial resources to bring these thieves to justice.