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Former DUA Employee Pleads Guilty to PUA Fraud
BOSTON – Tiffany Pacheco, a former Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance employee, pleaded guilty to six counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft related to fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claims.
Tiffany Pacheco, 35, formerly of New Bedford, who was hired by DUA in April 2020, shortly after her release from federal prison following a conviction for aggravated identity theft, misused her position to submit fraudulent PUA claim information on behalf of herself and her husband, Arthur Pacheco, who was incarcerated in Texas until Sept. 4, 2020.
According to court documents, PUA claims submitted for Tiffany Pacheco and her husband in June 2020 reflected 2019 income of $0 and no dependents. However, in July 2020, Tiffany Pacheco obtained access to the PUA computer system and increased the amount of 2019 income for both claims to more than $240,000 and the number of dependents to seven. She further used her access to the PUA system to verify the increased 2019 income without the required income verification documents.
In November 2020, Arthur Pacheco called DUA and falsely denied that he had been incarcerated during the timeframe leading up to September 2020. A search of the New Bedford apartment where Tiffany and Arthur Pacheco resided uncovered various tools of identity fraud, including an ID laminator, 100 blank ID cards, 68 hologram overlays, 150 card lamination sheets, and 649 sheets of blank checks. Law enforcement also seized approximately $17,000 cash and a notebook that appeared to contain the personal identifying information of various individuals.
Tiffany Pacheco’s employment with DUA was terminated on Sept. 23, 2020. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Jan. 12, 2022. The charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security’s Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized field investigative group comprised of personnel from various local, state, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell, Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, and Nikitas Splagounias, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigation, made the announcement. The New Bedford Police Department, Massachusetts Parole Board, and Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance also assisted in the investigation.
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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