Las Vegas Man Sentenced To Prison For COVID-19 Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud
Summary
A press release of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada dated Tuesday, April 29, 2025, announcing that Lavell Deshon Roberts, a Las Vegas resident, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release over nearly $240,000 in unemployment insurance benefits. According to the release, on July 15, 2020, a traffic stop of the vehicle he was driving found a pistol, $50,000 in money orders and 10 debit cards issued by the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation. It states that between June and July 2020 he used the cards to withdraw benefits from ATMs in Texas, for a total loss of $238,940. He and co-defendant Corey Marcus Valrey were indicted in October 2022, and Roberts pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
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Press Release Las Vegas Man Sentenced To Prison For COVID-19 Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud Tuesday, April 29, 2025 For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Nevada LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to 33 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for a scheme to steal nearly $240,000 in unemployment insurance benefits. According to court documents, on July 15, 2020, Lavell Deshon Roberts was stopped when law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle he was driving. During a search of the vehicle, officers located a pistol, $50,000 in money orders, and 10 debit cards issued by the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation (DETR). Between June and July 2020, Roberts used the debit cards to fraudulently withdraw unemployment insurance benefits from ATMs in Texas, resulting in a total loss of $238,940. Roberts and co-defendant Corey Marcus Valrey were indicted by a grand jury in October 2022. Roberts pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Valrey pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and will be sentenced on July 11, 2025. In addition to imprisonment, Roberts was ordered to pay restitution. United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Karon Ransom for the United States Secret Service made the announcement. The United States Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Mina Chang and Kimberly Frayn prosecuted the case. ### Updated April 29, 2025 Topics COVID-Related Fraud Financial Fraud Component USAO - Nevada Related Content Press Release Mexican National Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Tax Fraud Scheme LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for operating a scheme in which he claimed to be an IRS officer and misrepresented to... May 20, 2026 Press Release Nevada Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Over $26 Million From Employer LAS VEGAS – A Henderson, Nev., woman pleaded guilty today to embezzling over $26 million from her employer and purchasing high-end merchandise using the stolen funds and selling those items... April 24, 2026 Press Release Nevada Businesswoman Pleads Guilty to Multimillion Dollar Scheme to Fraudulently Claim COVID-19 Tax Credits LAS VEGAS – A Nevada businesswoman pleaded guilty on Monday to conspiring to defraud the United States by filing false tax returns claiming over $15 million dollars in COVID-19 related... April 10, 2026
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