Two residents of San Bernardino County have entered not-guilty pleas to charges stemming from a grand jury indictment accusing them of fraudulently obtaining over $2.1 million in COVID-19 pandemic unemployment relief. According to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Lisa Puente, 43, of Rialto, and Arthur Marquez, 53, of San Bernardino, allegedly filed more than 120 fraudulent claims using stolen identities.
Following their arraignment, Puente was released on a $20,000 bond, with Marquez securing his release on a $10,000 bond. Among the victims of identity theft were California state prisoners and other individuals, whom the defendants falsely claimed were impacted by the pandemic, according to the indictment.
As outlined in the announcement from the Department of Justice, the unemployment insurance benefit applications fraudulently stated the prisoners and other identity theft victims resided and worked in California, qualifying them for federal relief funds intended for those whose employment was disrupted by COVID-19.
The scheme, which operated from February 2020 to August 2023, allowed Puente and Marquez to receive debit cards issued by the California Employment Development Department (EDD) and make unauthorized withdrawals, as detailed by the indictment. The pair face various charges, including mail fraud and identity theft, with potential maximum sentences reaching up to 20 years per mail fraud count alone, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Investigations into the case are being conducted by an array of agencies, including the United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations. These actions are part of broader efforts by the Department of Justice to crack down on pandemic-related fraud through the establishment of the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force and the COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. These entities are dedicated to prosecuting those responsible for swindling pandemic relief efforts.
Individuals with information about attempted fraud related to COVID-19 are encouraged to report these details to the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline or through their online complaint form. The public’s vigilance continues to play a crucial role in aiding the ongoing pursuit of justice for crimes exploiting the pandemic.
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