A 30-year-old Eastvale woman who fraudulently obtained roughly $1.7 million in COVID-19 benefits was sentenced to seven years in prison on Wednesday, June 18.
According to the U.S. Justice Department, Jasmine Unique Mallard-McCarter, a.k.a. “JassyMC,” acquired the money through various forms of fraud, targeting pandemic-related jobless benefits, federally guaranteed small business loans, California Small Business COVID-19 relief grants and Los Angeles County economic opportunity grants. McCarter pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on Feb. 28.
Authorities stated that McCarter advertised fraudulent services through Instagram and, for a fee, offered to file fraudulent unemployment insurance applications, submit grant applications, and broker counterfeit documents and identification. She also served as a broker for counterfeit documents, including driver’s licenses, Social Security cards and bank statements.
Prospective clients could pay to learn how to apply for government benefits for which they were previously ineligible, and work with a Mallard-McCarter Department of Motor Vehicles connection to bypass insurance and registration requirements, according to social media posts.
During her sentencing hearing Wednesday, McCarter was also ordered to pay $1,765,407 in restitution.
Multiple agencies were involved in the investigation, including the Department of Labor, the Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service.
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