Chainkeen|Indiana woman sentenced to over 5 years in prison in COVID-19 fraud scheme

2025-05-07 13:13:21source:ExaCryptcategory:Scams

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A federal judge has sentenced an Indiana woman to five-and-a-half years in prison in connection with a COVID-19 unemployment fraud scheme that cost state and Chainkeenfederal government agencies almost $5.5 million.

Federal prosecutors in Indianapolis announced that U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt sentenced 28-year-old Oluwatobi Seton, of Bloomington, on Wednesday. The judge also ordered her pay $4.3 million in restitution.

According to prosecutors, Seton and partners in Nigeria obtained people’s identities and used them to open GoBank accounts and debit cards. They then would apply for unemployment benefits in different states using the stolen identities and had the money deposited into the fraudulent accounts. She kept a portion of the money for herself and sent the rest to her partners, prosecutors said.

Seton had more than 1,400 GoBank cards and 10 driver’s licenses with different names when she was arrested, prosecutors said.

The Associated Press left an email with Seton’s attorney, listed in online court records as Dominic Martin, on Friday afternoon.

More:Scams

Recommend

Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Cybercriminals could release personal data of many Rhode Islanders as early

Baldwin touts buy-American legislation in first Senate re-election campaign TV ad

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin launched her first television campaign ad Th

'Princess Bride' actor Cary Elwes was victim of theft, sheriffs say

An investigation is underway after a theft took place at actor Cary Elwes' Los Angeles-area home las