Baltimore woman defrauded unemployment system of $250,000 during pandemic, federal prosecutors say
A Baltimore woman admitted to running a bribery scheme that defrauded Maryland's unemployment insurance system of more than $250,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic, federal prosecutors said.
Natonia Johnson, 52, pleaded guilty Thursday to wire fraud charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Baltimore.
Prosecutors said Johnson worked as a contractor for the Maryland Department of Labor and used her access to the agency's internal database to manipulate unemployment claims.
She faces up to 20 years in prison and three years of supervised release when sentenced on Jan. 6, 2026.
How the scheme worked
Prosecutors said Johnson's scheme ran from June 2020 through November 2021.
At first, she helped friends, family members and strangers submit fraudulent documents and falsely claim self-employment to qualify for benefits, according to prosecutors. Later, after gaining access to the state's database through her contractor role, she removed flags and holds on accounts that showed people were ineligible.
Prosecutors said Johnson also backdated claims and deleted fraud alerts, triggering additional payments to people who did not qualify.
The scheme targeted expanded unemployment programs created during the pandemic, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation.
Other Maryland fraud cases
The guilty plea is one of several fraud cases announced in Maryland this year.
On Wednesday, the Maryland Attorney General's office announced that a Glen Burnie financial services provider pleaded guilty to operating two separate schemes, defrauded investors and stealing from a client's bank account.
On Tuesday, federal prosecutors charged a Florida woman with running an identity theft operation in Maryland from May 2020 to June 2021.
In July, a Baltimore County couple was sentenced for an insurance fraud and money laundering scheme that lasted 25 years, according to the Justice Department.
