Southwest Virginia Man Sentenced to 108 Months for Role in Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Scheme

Summary

Press release of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia dated July 27, 2021, announcing a 108-month federal prison sentence for Gregory Marcus Tackett, 28, of Pound, Virginia. Tackett pleaded guilty in April 2021 to one count each of conspiracy to defraud the government, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and obstructing justice. According to the release, Tackett admitted conspiring with others, including his girlfriend, to file fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits using personal identification information of more than 35 co-conspirators, including 15 inmates of the Virginia Department of Corrections. The release states the claims covered at least 37 individuals over nine months, with a total actual loss to the United States of at least $499,000.

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


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                         Tuesday, July 27, 2021

 Southwest Virginia Man Sentenced to 108 Months for Role
       in Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Scheme
ABINGDON, Va. – A Pound, Virginia man, who conspired with others to fraudulently file more than
$499,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits, was sentenced today to 108 months in federal
prison.

Gregory Marcus Tackett, 28, pleaded guilty in April 2021 to one count of conspiracy to defraud the
government, one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft,
and one count of obstructing justice.

“During a time of national hardship brought on by the pandemic, the defendant conspired with
others to defraud the government of funds intended to help Virginians that were truly in need,”
Acting United States Attorney Bubar said today. “Today’s significant prison sentence demonstrates
that such serious federal crime will not be tolerated. I am grateful for the determined efforts of the
Department of Labor, IRS-CI, Norton Police Department and Russell County Sheriff’s Office for their
hard work on this case.”

“Gregory Tackett conspired with others to commit fraud against the Pandemic Unemployment
Assistance Program by filing for and receiving benefits that he and others were not entitled to
receive. The U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General will continue to work closely with
the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Virginia Employment Commission, and our many law enforcement
partners to safeguard the integrity of all unemployment assistance programs,” stated Syreeta Scott,
Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Philadelphia Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of
Inspector General.

“Tackett discovered how costly stealing pandemic unemployment benefits truly is today. We will
continue to work with our investigative partners to hold accountable those who rob programs aimed
at helping individuals struggling through this global crisis,” said Darrell J. Waldon, Acting Special
Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office

According to court documents, Tackett admitted to conspiring with others, including his girlfriend,
LeeLynn Danielle Chykta, to commit fraud against the United States in connection with a scheme
involving the filing of fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits.

Tackett, Chytka, and others, conspired to collect personal identification information of more than 35
co-conspirators, including 15 inmates in the custody of the Virginia Department of Corrections, and
to file fraudulent claims of pandemic-related unemployment benefits.

Over the course of nine months, Tackett and Chytka filed fraudulent claims for at least 37
individuals, with a total actual loss to the United States of at least $499,000.

The Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal
Investigation, Norton Police Department, and Russell County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Assistant United States Attorney Daniel J. Murphy prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to
marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government
to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to
investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists
agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other
methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources
and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing
information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the
Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by
calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-
5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-
disaster-complaint-form .
Component(s):
USAO - Virginia, Western


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