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DC DHS Official Charged with Extortion
WASHINGTON – Ruth Nivar, 56, of Washington, D.C., was arrested this morning on charges related to extortion and conspiracy, accused of extorting payments from individuals applying for health care coverage from the D.C. government to process those benefits.
According to the indictment, unsealed yesterday, 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.
Nivar’s alleged scheme involved using her position at the DC DHS to extort payments from those seeking healthcare benefits, a brazen abuse of power that has left many in the community shaken.
Nivar and her co-conspirator, Yessica Moya, 35, of Washington, D.C., were arrested this morning and 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 case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Office of the Inspector General of the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by 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.
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 charges against Nivar and Moya are a stark reminder that those in power will be held accountable for their actions.
The indictment details a scheme that played out over several months, with Nivar using her position to extort payments from those seeking healthcare benefits. The full extent of the scheme is still unknown, but one thing is clear: Nivar and Moya will face justice for their alleged crimes.”
Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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