Kioni Dogan, Unemployment and Tax Scams, Stockton CA, 2023

GRIMY TIMES EXCLUSIVE: Kioni Dogan, 36, of Las Vegas and formerly of Stockton, has been hit with a staggering 21 fraud counts, including conspiracy to commit mail fraud and submitting false claims for tax refunds, according to the Department of Justice.

Dogan, along with Gloria Harris and Lavonda Bailey, is accused of orchestrating a ‘fictitious employer’ scheme that bilked over $2 million from the California Employment Development Department (EDD). The trio allegedly used fake employee information to file unemployment claims, with Harris and Bailey pocketing fraudulent benefits.

Adding to Dogan’s woes is a separate conspiracy charge involving Antonia L. Brasley for submitting false tax returns through identity theft. Both Dogan and Brasley face a potential of 20 years in prison and $250,000 fines for their respective frauds.

The investigations were led by the U.S. Department of Labor and the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Christopher S. Hales are prosecuting these serious charges.

This is not Dogan’s first brush with the law; he has been charged in multiple fraud cases. His alleged schemes underscore the complexity and reach of white-collar crime in California.

The accused maintain their innocence until proven guilty, but the severity of the charges suggests a grim future for the defendants if convicted.