Unemployment fraud scheme nets woman a year in prison

A Las Vegas woman was sentenced Thursday to a year in prison for fraudulently applying for more than $22,000 in unemployment benefits.

Deandra Michelle Smith, 36, used another person’s information to apply for unemployment insurance benefits with the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, federal court documents show.

Around February 2017, Smith falsely claimed the person had been laid off and listed her own address on the benefits application to receive the benefits debit card. She used the same person’s information to renew the unemployment claim several times, according to the documents.

Between March 2017 and August 2018, Smith used the unemployment benefit debit cards in states including Nevada, California, Texas, and Hawaii. She received a total of $22,490.

Smith pleaded guilty in November to one count of mail fraud.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon sentenced Smith to three years of supervised release.

Contact Briana Erickson at berickson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5244. Follow @ByBrianaE on Twitter.