Former Michigan unemployment agency worker pleads guilty to fraud scheme
A former Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency employee has pleaded guilty to actions in a benefits fraud scheme, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan reported.
Timeka Johnson, 43, of Southfield, entered her guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Stephen J. Murphy III.
Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 19. Johnson faces a mandatory two-year sentence for the charge of aggravated identity theft, the district attorney's press release said. She also faces up to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to engage in wire fraud.
The case, described as "extensive," involved over $250,000 stolen in an unemployment fraud and identity theft conspiracy while Johnson worked for the unemployment insurance agency. The investigation included the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.
"The guilty plea of Timeka Johnson, a former employee of the State of Michigan's Unemployment Insurance Agency, represents a serious betrayal of public trust," Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, said in a statement on the case. "By abusing her position, she exploited a critical safety net relied upon by countless residents of Michigan."
As a state employee, Johnson's responsibilities involved reviewing, processing, and verifying the legitimacy of unemployment insurance claims. According to court records, she used her access to process fraudulent claims on behalf of third parties. These actions included dismissing and improperly "closing" fraud prevention triggers and information requests.
