Memphis Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Scheme to Defraud Federal COVID-19 Relief Program, August 21, 2025
Summary
Press release of the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Tennessee, dated August 21, 2025. Rochelle L. Turner of Memphis was sentenced for a scheme to defraud the Emergency Cash Assistance program, which the State of Tennessee administered for the Department of Health and Human Services. According to the release, she created and submitted fraudulent unemployment letters falsely saying she and others had lost jobs, attempted to obtain over $15,000 and caused an actual loss of $6,000. Chief Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced her to five months in federal prison and five months of home detention, with three years of supervised release and restitution. She had pleaded guilty to a one-count information on May 8, 2025.
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“Memphis Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Scheme to Defraud Federal COVID-19 Relief Program, August 21, 2025.”
Original at www.oig.dol.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2025-08-26-memphis-woman-sentenced-to-federal-prison-for-scheme-to-def-4a63eb8ad6/
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PRESS RELEASE
Memphis Woman Sentenced to Federal
Prison for Scheme to Defraud Federal
COVID-19 Relief Program
Thursday, August 21, 2025
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Tennessee
Memphis, TN – A Memphis woman was recently sentenced to federal prison in
connection with her scheme to defraud the United States Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS) “Emergency Cash Assistance” program which was administered
by the State of Tennessee to provide emergency cash assistance to families who lost
jobs or substantial income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr.,
Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the
sentence today.
According to information presented in court, Rochelle L. Turner, 32, created and
submitted fraudulent unemployment letters falsely indicating that she and others had
lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Turner attempted to defraud the
Emergency Cash Assistance program out of over $15,000 and caused an actual loss of
$6,000 to the program.
Turner pled guilty to a one-count information charging her with making false claims
against the United States on May 8, 2025. On August 14, 2025, Chief United States
District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Turner to five months in federal prison and
five months of home detention. Turner was also sentenced to three years of supervised
release and ordered to pay restitution to the United States. There is no parole in the
federal system.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office
of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector
General. Assistant United States Attorney Tony Arvin prosecuted this case on behalf of
the government.
###
For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team
at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at
@WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Updated August 21, 2025
Component
USAO - Tennessee, Western
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