Eight former Georgia employees indicted for unemployment insurance fraud

(The Center Square) — A Fulton County grand jury has indicted eight former state employees on unemployment insurance fraud charges.

Prosecutors say the eight submitted false claims and weekly certifications to the Georgia Department of Labor during the COVID-19 pandemic to receive unemployment insurance benefits when employed by the state. According to the State of Georgia Office of the Inspector General, the eight received $170,931 in unemployment insurance benefits and federal supplements.

According to a news release from Attorney General Chris Carr, the indictments follow an investigation by Georgia’s Office of the Inspector General, the Georgia DOL and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General.

“OIG has worked closely with DOL and the Attorney General’s Office in bringing this case for prosecution,” Interim State Inspector General Nigel Lange said in an announcement. “Georgia public servants who seek to illegally further their own interests rather than those of the public they serve will be caught. These indictments send a clear message to any likeminded individuals.”

Combined, the eight face eight counts of violation of Georgia Employment Security Law and 79 counts of false statements and writings. Officials said they charged:

Curesha Blair, 31 with five counts of false statements and writingsTamika C. Goodwin, 48, with eight counts of false statements and writingsWillie Jones, 44, who worked with the Georgia Vocational Rehab Agency Industries of the Blind, with 10 counts of false statements and writings and one count of Violation of the Georgia Employment Security LawJames Neville, 36, who worked for the Georgia Department of Human Services, with 19 counts of false statements and writings and two counts of violation of the Georgia Employment Security LawDivincia Richardson, 31, who worked for the Secretary of State, with 10 counts of false statements and writings and one count of Violation of the Georgia Employment Security LawRegina Sterling, 59, with three counts of false statements and writingsDenice Vance, 31, who worked for the Georgia Department of Public Health, with 10 counts of false statements and writings and two counts of Violation of the Georgia Employment Security LawLa-Kira Williams, 41, who worked for the Georgia Department of Human Services, with 14 counts of false statements and writings and two counts of Violation of the Georgia Employment Security Law

“We have made it abundantly clear that we will not tolerate fraud, whether it comes from outside the state, inside Georgia, or within our agency,” Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson said in a statement.

Separately, in November, the feds announced charges against eight people for conspiring to defraud the Georgia DOL out of tens of millions of dollars in federal funds for unemployment benefits. At the time, an expert told The Center Square the federal charges revealed the potential vulnerability of the state’s systems.