Watervliet Woman Charged with Pandemic Fraud
Albany, New York – Elizabeth Lashley, a/k/a ‘Elizabeth Bonilla,’ age 42, of Watervliet, New York, has been charged with pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits in multiple states.
According to the indictment, Lashley fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance benefits worth more than $65,000 by submitting applications for benefits in her own name or an alias with the state workforce agencies of California, Arizona, and Massachusetts.
The charges against Lashley are wire fraud charges, which carry a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.
Lashley was arraigned in federal court today on the indictment. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by USDOL-OIG, USPIS, and HSI, with assistance from the Albany Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew M. Paulbeck, Joseph S. Hartunian, and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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