Related Federal Cases
- DC Tax Official Bribery Ringleader Gets Probation, 200 Hours of Community Service · Maryland
- Ex-DCPS Official Garnett Found Guilty in $Million Bribery Scheme · Maryland
- Former DCPS Official Dana Garnett Found Guilty in $1M Bribery Scheme · Maryland
- Ex-Education Official Gets 35 Months for Witness Tampering · Washington
- Georgia Lawyer Gets 18 Months for Jan. 6 Riot · Washington
D.C. Official and Co-Conspirator Charged with Extortion
A shocking indictment has revealed a brazen extortion scheme orchestrated by a former high-ranking official in the D.C. Department of Human Services. Ruth Nivar, 56, and her co-conspirator Yessica Moya, 35, both of Washington, D.C., were arrested this morning on charges related to extortion and conspiracy.
According to the indictment, Nivar, a former employee at the District of Columbia Department of Human Services, was charged with extorting payments from individuals applying for health care coverage from the D.C. government to process those benefits. Starting at least as early as November 2022, Nivar introduced Moya as a co-conspirator into her extortion scheme in an apparent attempt to disguise Nivar’s receipt of payment and information from law enforcement.
“The alleged actions of these two individuals are a betrayal of the public trust and a reprehensible abuse of power,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “We will hold them accountable for their crimes and ensure that justice is served.”
If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison for committing Hobbs Act extortion and five years in prison for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act extortion. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Office of the Inspector General of the District of Columbia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Madhu Chugh, of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case is being prosecuted as 24-cr-222_nivar_moya_indictment.pdf.
Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
