Eight Former State Employees Indicted in Fulton County for Unemployment Insurance Fraud

Summary

A release of the Office of the Attorney General announcing that Attorney General Chris Carr reported the indictment of eight former state employees in Fulton County for unemployment insurance fraud. The defendants are alleged to have submitted false claims and weekly certifications to the Georgia Department of Labor while employed by the State of Georgia, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The release states that a Fulton County Grand Jury indicted the eight on July 27, 2023, each charged separately with counts of False Statements and Writings under O.C.G.A. § 16-10-20, some also under O.C.G.A. § 34-8-256. Those named include James Neville, with 19 counts of False Statements and Writings, and La-Kira Williams, with 14.

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    OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

    A UG UST 03, 2023


    Carr: Eight Former State Employees
    Indicted in Fulton County for
    Unemployment Insurance Fraud
    ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that eight former state
    employees have been indicted in Fulton County. The defendants are alleged to have
    submitted false claims and weekly certifications to the Georgia Department of Labor
    (DOL) to receive unemployment insurance benefits when they were employed by the
    State of Georgia. All of the alleged conduct occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “Government employees are entrusted to operate honesty and ethically, and those who
    do not will be held accountable,” said Carr. “We will not hesitate to pursue any individual
    who works for our state and seeks to illegally obtain public funds for their own personal
    gain. We are committed to protecting taxpayer dollars no matter the amount, and this
    type of fraud will not be tolerated.”

    The indictments follow an investigation conducted by the State of Georgia Office of the
    Inspector General (OIG) with assistance from Georgia DOL and the Office of Inspector
    General at the U.S. Department of Labor.

    “OIG has worked closely with DOL and the Attorney General’s Office in bringing this case
    for prosecution,” said Interim State Inspector General Nigel Lange. “Georgia public
    servants who seek to illegally further their own interests rather than those of the public
    they serve will be caught. These indictments send a clear message to any likeminded
    individuals. OIG is focused on reducing corruption in State government and relies upon the
    vigilance of its partner agencies to continue with the mission.”

    The Attorney General’s Public Integrity and White Collar Crime Unit presented evidence to
    a Fulton County Grand Jury, resulting in the indictment* of the eight defendants on July
    27, 2023. Each of the defendants was charged separately, as listed below.
    James Neville:

   19 counts of False Statements and Writings (O.C.G.A. § 16-10-20)
   2 counts of Violation of the Georgia Employment Security Law (O.C.G.A. § 34-8-256)
    La-Kira Williams:
   14 counts of False Statements and Writings (O.C.G.A. § 16-10-20)
   2 counts of Violation of the Georgia Employment Security Law (O.C.G.A. § 34-8-256)
    Denice Vance:
   10 counts of False Statements and Writings (O.C.G.A. § 16-10-20)
   2 counts of Violation of the Georgia Employment Security Law (O.C.G.A. § 34-8-256)
    Divincia Richardson:
   10 counts of False Statements and Writings (O.C.G.A. § 16-10-20)
   1 count of Violation of the Georgia Employment Security Law (O.C.G.A. § 34-8-256)
    Willie Jones:
   10 counts of False Statements and Writings (O.C.G.A. § 16-10-20)
   1 count of Violation of the Georgia Employment Security Law (O.C.G.A. § 34-8-256)
    Tamika C. Goodwin:
   8 counts of False Statements and Writings (O.C.G.A. § 16-10-20)
    Curesha Blair:
   5 counts of False Statements and Writings (O.C.G.A. § 16-10-20)
    Regina Sterling:
   3 counts of False Statements and Writings (O.C.G.A. § 16-10-20)

    A copy of the indictments can be found here . No further information about the
    investigation or the indictments may be released at this time by the Office of the Attorney
    General.

    *Members of the public should keep in mind that indictments contain only allegations
    against the individual against whom the indictment is sought. A defendant is presumed
    innocent until proven guilty, and it will be the government’s burden at trial to prove the
    defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the allegations contained in the indictment.


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