Former Ohio JFS employees accused in $9 million COVID-19 pandemic fraud scheme
Two former Ohio Department of Job and Family Services employee are among eight people accused of filing false COVID-19 relief claims in two separate cases filed Thursday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court.
The cases totaled more than $9 million in fraud, the Franklin County Prosecutor's office said.
The first case resulted in more than $5 million that was fraudulently claimed between November 2020 and June 2021, the prosecutor's office said.
In that case, six people are facing 21 criminal counts, including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, telecommunications fraud, tampering with records, money laundering and theft.
Tiffany Wilson, 32, of Toledo, is accused in that case of accessing state JFS systems for pandemic unemployment assistance after she was fired from her role as a subcontractor for the agency. Wilson is accused of altering claims for assistance by changing or deleting information, including for the benefit of her co-defendants.
After JFS noticed what appeared to be irregular access being made to its systems, a report was made to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the prosecutor's office said, which began an investigation with the help of the U.S. Department of Labor.
Wilson's codefendants in the case are: Erin McGoy, 22, Lataska Minor, 50, Nicy Minor, 57, and Aja Minor, 22, all of Toledo; and Sherrod Thompson, 34, of Plain City.
In the second case Columbus residents Lasheta McClellan, 41, and Alana Hamilton, 31, who was a former JFS employee, face charges of theft, telecommunications fraud, tampering with records, filing false tax returns, money laundering and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
The Franklin County Prosecutor's office accused McClellan, of the Far South Side, and Hamilton, of South Linden, of altering multiple pandemic unemployment assistance claims between May 2020 and October 2021, leading to more than $4 million being claimed fraudulently.
Prosecutors also accused McClellan and Hamilton of using false information to try and file claims.
Prosecutors said JFS noticed suspicious activity by Hamilton which was reported to the Ohio Inspector General's office, as well as the Ohio State Highway Patrol and U.S. Department of Labor. The agencies launched an investigation that resulted in the charges.
This is the second announcement of cases involving pandemic fraud to be filed this week. On Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney's office announced federal charges against two local women.
bbruner@dispatch.com
@bethany_bruner
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Former Ohio JFS employees accused in $9 million COVID fraud scheme
