Fraud guide
Unemployment insurance fraud
Prosecutors have described fictitious employers, stolen identities, and thousands of false unemployment claims filed with a state labor department.
What a public sentencing described
On May 23, 2025, the Office of Public Affairs announced sentences for three people in a scheme to defraud the Georgia Department of Labor of benefits meant for unemployed people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Macovian Doston, 31, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Shatara Hubbard, 36, was sentenced to 6 years. Torella Wynn, 33, was sentenced to one year. Each term is followed by three years of supervised release. The release says restitution will be determined later. It does not state a restitution amount. 1 Source 1
The release says that from March 2020 through November 2022, the defendants and co-conspirators caused more than 5,000 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims to be filed, resulting in at least $30 million in stolen benefits. They created fictitious employers and fabricated employee lists using personal information from identity-theft victims, then filed the claims on the state labor department’s website. 1 Source 1
The release also lists earlier sentences for four co-conspirators from the same November 8, 2022 indictment: Tyshion Nautese Hicks, 12 years, in October 2024; Kenya Whitehead, 28 months, in September 2024; A’Darrion Alexander, 18 months, in October 2024; and Membrish Brown, 18 months, in May 2024. 1 Source 1
Which published programs may apply
The Fraud Division FAQ gives unemployment fraud as the example of fraud on programs administered by the Department of Labor. That is one of the subjects that can qualify for the discretionary $10,000 to $30,000 payment after charges are unsealed. 2 Source 2
Pandemic unemployment programs mixed federal and state administration. A false claim for federal money can also be a False Claims Act matter. The Georgia release is a criminal sentencing announcement. It does not report a whistleblower award. 1 Source 1 3 Source 3
Where to report
Report at America.gov/fraud. The Civil Division’s fraud page describes inspector general and FBI reports, and qui tam filings, as other federal paths. This site does not take the report. 4 Source 4 5 Source 5
Questions readers ask
How much restitution did the May 2025 sentences impose?
The release says restitution for Doston, Hubbard, and Wynn will be set later. It does state that the scheme resulted in at least $30 million in stolen benefits. Those are different figures, and this page does not fill in the missing restitution orders. 1 Source 1
Sources
- Three Sentenced for $30 Million COVID-19 Unemployment Fraud, Office of Public Affairs, May 23, 2025 U.S. Department of Justice
- Criminal Tip Rewards Pilot Program, frequently asked questions U.S. Department of Justice
- The False Claims Act, Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice
- America.gov/fraud reporting page America.gov
- Report Fraud Against the Federal Government, Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice