Suffolk County Corrections Officers Charged with COVID Unemployment and Loan Fraud (Press Release)

Summary

A press release of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, dated Friday, December 13, 2024, announcing the arrest of two corrections officers of the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department. Christnel Orisca was indicted on five counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution, and Jasmine Murphy on seven counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution. The charging documents allege that Orisca collected approximately $54,700 and Murphy approximately $44,346 in unemployment benefits and small business loan funds. The release states that both allegedly made false statements in PUA and PPP loan applications and on PPP forgiveness forms.

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PRESS RELEASE


Suffolk County Corrections Officers
Charged with COVID Unemployment and
Loan Fraud
Friday, December 13, 2024

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – Two corrections officers employed by the Suffolk County Sherriff’s
Department were arrested today for allegedly submitting fraudulent information in an
effort to obtain loans through CARES Act programs like the Pandemic Unemployment
Assistance (PUA) program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

Christnel Orisca, 25, of Boston, was indicted by a federal grand jury on five counts of
wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution, arising
out of PUA, traditional Unemployment Insurance (UI) and PPP loan benefits obtained
prior to his employment at the Suffolk County Sherriff’s Department. Jasmine Murphy,
38, also of Boston, was indicted on seven counts of wire fraud and one count of making
a false statement to a financial institution, arising out of PUA and PPP loan benefits
obtained prior to her employment at the Suffolk County Sherriff’s Department and UI
benefits obtained prior to and during her employment there.

The defendants were arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston at
1:30 PM and 1:45 PM today.

“This case highlights the critical importance of protecting taxpayer-
funded programs like the CARES Act from fraud and abuse,” said
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “These defendants, who hold
positions of public trust as corrections officers, are alleged to have
knowingly exploited pandemic relief programs intended to support
small businesses and unemployed workers during a time of
unprecedented crisis. Such conduct not only undermines the
integrity of these programs but also betrays the public’s trust. My
office remains steadfast in holding accountable those who engage in
such schemes and ensuring that federal relief funds are used for their
intended purpose – helping those in genuine need.”
“An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate
allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 pandemic unemployment insurance programs.
We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types
of allegations,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan Mellone, U.S. Department of
Labor, Office of Inspector General.

“Today’s arrest sends a clear message that those seeking to fraudulently receive benefits
will be investigated and prosecuted. DHS OIG is grateful for our continued partnership
with our law enforcement partners as we continue fighting corruption,” said Inspector
General Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of
Inspector General.

According to the charging document, Orisca has been a Corrections Officer with the
Suffolk County Sherriff’s Department since late 2021. It is alleged that Orisca
fraudulently applied for pandemic unemployment and small business loan benefits
while working full-time, initially for a security company and later for a delivery
company. While employed full-time, it is alleged that Orisca collected approximately
$54,700 in unemployment benefits and small business loan funds.

According to the indictment, Murphy has been a Corrections Officer with the Suffolk
County Sherriff’s Department since approximately January 2022. It is alleged that
Murphy fraudulently applied for pandemic unemployment and small business loan
benefits while working for trucking and workforce services companies. It is alleged that
Murphy collected approximately $44,346 in unemployment benefits and small business
loan funds to which she was not entitled.

In both of their PUA applications, it is alleged that Orisca and Murphy made fraudulent
representations about their employment status and thereafter falsely claimed, on a
weekly basis, that they did not work and did not receive any income during the prior
week. In their PPP loan applications, it is alleged that Orisca and Murphy submitted false
statements to SBA-approved lenders, including about the income and/or payroll of their
purported small businesses, in order to obtain their loans. According to the charging
documents, they also made false representations on forms submitted to request that
their PPP loans be forgiven.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years
of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of making false statements to a
financial institution provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of
supervised release and a $1 million fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district
court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the
determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

U.S. Attorney Levy, DOL-OIG SAC Mellone and DHS-OIG Inspector General Cuffari made
the announcement today. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Police Department
and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department provided valuable assistance with the
investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Deitch and Dustin Chao of the Public
Corruption Unit are prosecuting 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 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 and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/comb
atingfraud.

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 via the https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-
complaint-form.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are
presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court
of law.


Updated December 13, 2024

Topics
CORONAVIRUS
PUBLIC CORRUPTION


Component
USAO - Massachusetts


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