Woman Serving Life Prison Sentence Allegedly Led Ring that Used Stolen Identities
Summary
A press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California dated May 17, 2022. It announces the arrest of five people under a 39-count indictment charging 13 defendants in an alleged scheme to use stolen identities, some belonging to California prison inmates, to obtain at least $2 million in unemployment insurance benefits from the California Employment Development Department. The release names Natalie Le Demola, who is serving a life sentence for a 2005 first-degree murder conviction, as the lead defendant and Carleisha Neosha Plummer as a close associate. According to the release, the conspiracy count alleges 150 overt acts, and the indictment also names defendants in 31 bank fraud counts and seven aggravated identity theft counts.
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“Woman Serving Life Prison Sentence Allegedly Led Ring that Used Stolen Identities.”
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Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Central District of California
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, May 17, 2022
Woman Serving Life Prison Sentence Allegedly Led Ring
that Used Stolen Identities to Apply for Pandemic
Unemployment Benefits
LOS ANGELES – Federal authorities today arrested five people linked to a ring that allegedly
obtained at least $2 million in California unemployment insurance (UI) benefits – mostly pandemic-
related relief – by using stolen identities, some of which belonged to California prison inmates.
The arrests were made pursuant to a 39-count indictment that charges 13 defendants in a
scheme to use misappropriated personal identifying information (PII) to fraudulent apply for, and
receive, unemployment benefits, mostly during the second half of 2020.
The lead defendant in the case is Natalie Le Demola, 37, who is currently serving a life prison
sentence after she was convicted in 2005 of first-degree murder. The indictment also charges
Carleisha Neosha Plummer, 32, of Los Angeles, who was a close associate of Demola in prison until
she was paroled in July 2020.
The indictment charges all 13 defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud.
The conspiracy count alleges 150 overt acts, including illegally obtaining PII, some of which was
provided by an unnamed prison official employed by the California Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation.
The indictment names various defendants in 31 bank fraud counts and seven aggravated
identity theft counts.
Demola, Plummer and other co-conspirators “would acquire the PII, such as the names, dates
of birth, and Social Security numbers, of individuals, including identity theft victims, who were not
eligible for UI benefits, including pandemic benefits, because they were employed, retired, or
incarcerated,” the indictment alleges. Members of the conspiracy then allegedly used the information
to make fraudulent online applications for UI benefits from the California Employment Development
Department (EDD). Once the applications were approved, members of the conspiracy received EDD-
funded debit that allowed them to withdraw money from ATMs across Southern California,
according to the indictment.
The defendants named in the indictment are:
• Demola, originally of Corona, who will be brought to federal court to face the charges in this case;
• Plummer, 32, of Los Angeles, who was arrested today;
• Khanshanda King, 31, of Los Angeles, who is still being sought;
• Cleshay Johnson II, 28, of Los Angeles, who is still being sought;
• James Antonio Johnson, who has several aliases including “Big Dawg Niddy,” 31, of Los Angeles,
who is currently in custody in a Los Angeles County jail;
• Felicite Aleisha King, 41, of Los Angeles, who is still being sought;
• Shafequah Lynete Mitchell, 33, of Los Angeles, who is currently traveling outside of California;
• Loresha Shamone Davis, 31, of Moreno Valley, who was arrested today;
• Porsha Latrice Johnson, 32, of Lynwood, who was arrested today;
• Donisha Lashawn Pace, 38, of South Los Angeles, who was arrested today;
• Dominique Charmone Martin, 37, of Yucaipa, who is still being sought;
• Mykara Destiny Robertson, 23, of Los Angeles, who is still being sought; and
• Amber Jane Wade, 34, of Palmdale, who was arrested today.
Those arrested today are being arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in Los
Angeles.
The conspiracy and bank fraud charges each carry a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in
federal prison. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant
is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The investigation into this scheme was conducted by the Los Angeles El Camino Real Financial
Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency task force led by Homeland Security Investigations that includes
federal and state investigators who are focused on financial crimes in Southern California. The
California Employment Development Department, the California Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation, the United States Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Inglewood
Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service participated in this investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Bernstein of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting
this case.
Topic(s): Contact:
Financial Fraud Thom Mrozek Director of Media Relations
Identity Theft thom.mrozek@usdoj.gov (213) 894-6947
Component(s): Press Release Number:
USAO - California, Central 22-096
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