Shaneesha White, Wire Fraud, New York 2020

Buffalo Woman Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Fraud Scheme

A 25-year-old Buffalo woman, Shaneesha White, pleaded guilty to wire fraud involving benefits connected to a presidentially declared national emergency. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

According to the investigation, between June 2020 and February 2021, White defrauded the New York State Department of Labor by fraudulently collecting unemployment insurance benefits, to which she was not entitled. White applied for and received benefits in her own name, under false and fraudulent pretenses. The defendant and others also used the personal identifying information of two individuals fraudulently to create benefit accounts and collect benefits in the names of these individuals.

The benefit money was deposited into bank accounts held and controlled by White at Key Bank. Key Bank also issued ATM cards in both White’s name and in the names of the two individuals, which White used to make cash withdrawals of the benefits. As a result of the fraud, the defendant unlawfully collected $48,833.15 in benefits.

The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It expands states’ ability to provide unemployment insurance for many workers impacted by COVID-19, including for workers who are not ordinarily eligible for benefits.

White is scheduled to be sentenced on January 14, 2022 before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Related Federal Cases