Georgia woman gets 12-year prison sentence for $30M COVID-19 scheme

A Georgia woman will serve 12 years in prison for her role in what prosecutors called one of the largest COVID-19 fraud schemes prosecuted.

Tyshion Nautese Hicks, 32, of Vienna, conspired with others to file more than 5,000 fraudulent COVID-19 unemployment claims, according to the Department of Justice. The stolen benefits totaled at least $30 million.

“In doing so, the defendant and her co-conspirators exploited a program designed to alleviate pandemic-related economic hardship to enrich themselves at the expense of federal taxpayers," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

Hicks and others created fictitious employers and lists of employees using personally identifiable information from thousands of identity theft victims, the department said in a release. The information was gleaned from the internet, and in one case, an employee of an Atlanta health care network was paid for patient information.

"Tyshion Nautese Hicks and her co-conspirators used the stolen PII of unwitting victims to file numerous fraudulent claims for UI benefits with the Georgia Department of Labor,” said Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General Southeast Regional Office.

The unemployment benefits were mailed to various addresses around Cordele and Vienna, the Justice Department said. Hicks paid a mail carrier to divert debit cards with $512,000 to her.

“Postal inspectors will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold individuals accountable for engaging in fraudulent schemes to manipulate the COVID-19 program for their own financial gain,” said Inspector in Charge Tommy D. Coke of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Atlanta Division. “

Hicks pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, according to the Justice Department. In addition to the 12-year prison sentence, Hicks will serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution.

Seven of Hicks' co-conspirators pleaded guilty and or have been sentenced, according to the Justice Department.

A Republican-led House Oversight Committee heard last month that unemployment schemes were one of the most prominent COVID-19 frauds.

"The U.S. Government Accountability Office estimates 11 to 15 percent of total benefits paid during the pandemic were fraudulent, totaling between $100 to $135 billion. The Department of Labor Office of Inspector General estimates that at least $191 billion in pandemic UI payments could have been improperly paid, with a significant portion attributable to fraud," a report said. "As of March 2023, states reported recoveries of improper payments in an amount of only $6.8 billion."