A former employee of the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit federal program bribery and engaging in aggravated identity theft, according to a press release from U.S. Attorney General Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.

The charges are connected to an investigation into more than $2.8 million that was issued in state unemployment benefits. Agencies involved in the case included the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Labor, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency. 

Janine Rayford, 39, of Redford, pleaded guilty to her charges Thursday in federal court, the press release said. Sentencing is set for Jan. 8. 

Rayford faces a mandatory two-year sentence of imprisonment on the count of aggravated identity theft and also faces up to 5 years' imprisonment on the count of federal program bribery.  

As explained in a statement attributed to Megan Howell, special agent in charge with the Great Lake Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Rayford misused her access to sensitive employment information and state data systems to defraud the unemployment insurance program. 

The district attorney's office alleges that Rayford, while working for the Michigan Unemployment Agency, accepted more than $50,000 in bribe payments. Through the conspiracy and improper dismissal of fraud prevention triggers, more than $2.86 million in unemployment insurance money was issued to other people. 

"If you're a public official whose side hustle is taking bribes, your next job will be answering to a judge. Corruption destroys public trust in government and will be aggressively prosecuted by my office," Gorgon said in his statement.