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Citrus Heights Man Pleads Guilty to $1 Million Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud Scheme
A Citrus Heights man pleaded guilty to participating in a $1 million unemployment insurance benefits fraud scheme and to a firearm charge, according to a plea agreement filed with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.
Deshawn Oshaea Campbell, 36, of Citrus Heights, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm and mail fraud, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
Between June 2020 and December 2020, Campbell and Rochelle Pasley, 34, of Citrus Heights, conspired to defraud by filing fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with the California Employment Development Department (EDD), seeking Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits under the CARES Act.
The defendants obtained the identifying information of other individuals and used their identities to submit dozens of fraudulent claims, representing, among other things, that the claimants had recently lost employment or were unable to find employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
EDD approved more than 50 of the fraudulent claims, and authorized Bank of America to mail out EDD debit cards containing benefits. The defendants then obtained these debit cards and used them to withdraw the benefits at ATMs throughout California and to make direct purchases, all for their own benefit.
The scheme resulted in EDD paying out more than $1 million.
Campbell pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, and the EDD – Investigation Division.
Campbell is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta on Aug. 7, 2025.
Campbell faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of mail fraud and faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of firearm possession.
Pasley is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Calabretta on June 26, 2025.
This effort is part of a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation, one of five interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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