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Westmoreland County Woman Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Unemployment Benefits Fraud

Summary

A press release of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania dated Thursday, February 11, 2021, announcing that Tracy Ann Stankiewicz of Arnold, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior U.S. District Judge David S. Cercone. The Court was advised that from June 6, 2020 until July 12, 2020 Stankiewicz committed fraud in connection with emergency benefits. According to information provided to the Court, a Pandemic Unemployment Assistance application was filed on June 6, 2020 in the name of an inmate at State Correctional Institution-Greene, and Stankiewicz admitted receiving approximately $11,000.00. Sentencing was scheduled for June 10, 2021, with a maximum total sentence of not more than 30 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both.

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“Westmoreland County Woman Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Unemployment Benefits Fraud.” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2021-02-22-westmoreland-county-woman-pleads-guilty-to-pandemic-unemplo-1e1b3df6dd/, SHA-256 800e3958ab2c9e0399d652f198f904953663df24766b231f81212a8525b1bc60.

Full text

                                     Department of Justice
                                       U.S. Attorney’s Office
                                  Western District of Pennsylvania


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                   Thursday, February 11, 2021

  Westmoreland County Woman Pleads Guilty to Pandemic
             Unemployment Benefits Fraud
PITTSBURGH, PA- A resident of Arnold, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to a charge of fraud,
United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

Tracy Ann Stankiewicz, age 49, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior U.S. District Judge David S.
Cercone.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that from June 6, 2020 and continuing
thereafter until July 12, 2020, Stankiewicz committed fraud in connection with emergency benefits.

On March 13, 2020, the President of the United States declared the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to
be an emergency under Section 501(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Act.
Subsequently, on March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES
Act) was signed into law. The CARES Act created the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)
Program, which provided unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular
unemployment compensation or extended unemployment benefits. The CARES Act also provided an
emergency increase in unemployment compensation benefits of $600.00 per week.

According to information provided to the Court, on June 6, 2020, an application for PUA was
electronically filed in the name of an inmate at State Correctional Institution-Greene. In the
application, the filer (who was later determined to be Tracy Stankiewicz) represented that she was
the inmate, and that the inmate was unemployed as a direct result of the pandemic, and that the
inmate could accept a job if one were offered. Ms. Stankiewicz admitted to law enforcement
authorities that she received approximately $11,000.00 as a result of her crime.

Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for June 10, 2021 at 11:30 a.m. The law provides for a
maximum total sentence of not more than 30 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the
Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of
the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the
government.

The United States Secret Service and the Office of Inspector General – U.S. Department of Labor
conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
Topic(s):                                             Component(s):
Coronavirus                                           USAO - Pennsylvania, Western
Financial Fraud

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