OMAHA, NE – Jessica A. Lovering, 30, of Omaha, Nebraska, walked out of court a free woman this week, but not without a blemish on her record. Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Lovering to time served for her role in a conspiracy to pass and utter forged U.S. Treasury checks, a scheme that exploited the pandemic-era stimulus program. Lovering had already served 3 months and 11 days behind bars for the offenses.
The scam involved taking stimulus checks originally issued to incarcerated individuals – inmates in both the federal Bureau of Prisons and the Nebraska Department of Corrections – and altering them. Lovering, along with her accomplice, would obscure the original payee’s name with a white powdery substance and then write in her own name. On March 26, 2021, she successfully cashed a forged check for $1,400 at the EZ Money Check Cashing location on L Street in Omaha. A return trip on April 26th with another altered check failed when employees recognized the fraud and refused payment.
Federal investigators traced the checks back to Courtney Clark, who supplied Lovering with the fraudulent instruments. Text message and Facebook Messenger conversations obtained through search warrants detailed the pair’s discussions about manufacturing and altering the checks. The messages confirmed a plan for Lovering to cash the checks at the EZ Money location and split the proceeds with Clark. The arrangement was a brazen attempt to profit from a program designed to help those in need.
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced the sentencing, emphasizing the government’s commitment to pursuing pandemic-related fraud. Lovering was also ordered to pay $1,400 in restitution. While there is no parole in the federal system, Lovering will be under supervised release for three years following her release. This case highlights the ongoing efforts to hold accountable those who attempted to defraud the government and exploit the COVID-19 relief programs.
Clark, Lovering’s co-conspirator, previously pleaded guilty to the same charges on May 18, 2022, and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 18, 2022. The investigation was a joint effort between the U.S. Secret Service and the Omaha Police Department, demonstrating a collaborative approach to tackling financial crimes. The Secret Service has been heavily involved in investigating pandemic-related fraud as part of the broader COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force established by the Attorney General.
Anyone with information regarding COVID-19 related fraud is encouraged to report it to the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or through their online complaint form. The government remains vigilant in its pursuit of those who seek to exploit crises for personal gain. The full details of the Department’s pandemic response can be found at justice.gov/coronavirus.
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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