U.S. Attorney's Office, W.D. Pa., Former State Labor Department Employee Charged with Accepting Bribes to Approve More Than $500,000 in Fraudulent Unemployment Compensation Claims (press release, 2026-04-21)

Summary

Press release of April 21, 2026 from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Pennsylvania, announcing that a federal grand jury in Erie indicted Elizabeth Goss on charges of wire fraud and theft of government property. The five-count Indictment alleges that from in and around June 2020 to in and around February 2023, Goss, while working at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, accepted unauthorized payments from claimants to approve and expedite Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and other pandemic-related unemployment claims, resulting in approximately $528,449 in benefits to which claimants were not entitled. The release states the maximum sentence is up to 20 years in prison for each of Counts One through Four (wire fraud) and up to 10 years for Count Five.

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“U.S. Attorney's Office, W.D. Pa., Former State Labor Department Employee Charged with Accepting Bribes to Approve More Than $500,000 in Fraudulent Unemployment Compensation Claims (press release, 2026-04-21).” Original at www.oig.dol.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/u-s-attorney-s-office-w-d-pa-former-state-labor-department-employee-ch-123d1acd3b/, SHA-256 823f2cddcf2c2b389c0f39a273a1153fbbc34b85498ee4710c7ecb605fc6c5e7.

Full text

PRESS RELEASE

Former State Labor Department Employee
Charged with Accepting Bribes to Approve
More Than $500,000 in Fraudulent
Unemployment Compensation Claims
Tuesday, April 21, 2026

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

ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in
Erie on charges of wire fraud and theft of government property, United States Attorney
Troy Rivetti announced today.

The five-count Indictment named Elizabeth Goss, 43, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, from in and around June 2020, to in and around February
2023, Goss, while working at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry,
accepted unauthorized payments from unemployment compensation claimants to
approve and expedite Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and other pandemic-related
unemployment claims even though the claimants were not entitled to those benefits.
The Indictment alleges that Goss’s actions resulted in the payment of approximately
$528,449 in unemployment compensation benefits to which claimants were not entitled.

“This investigation and the resulting Indictment send a clear message that government
employees who steal and misuse public funds will be brought to justice,” said United
States Attorney Rivetti. “Our office and our law enforcement partners are committed to
rooting out fraud and safeguarding the public treasury.”

“At the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, we are relentless in
protecting the integrity of unemployment insurance programs,” said Anthony P.
D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
“Together with our law enforcement partners, we are going on offense against fraud—
tracking down those who exploit these benefits and holding them accountable. Fraud
will not be tolerated. If you try to game the system, we will find you.”

“Postal Inspectors remain steadfast in pursuing individuals who misuse the mail to
defraud government programs intended to support the American public in times of
need,” said Acting Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service,
Pittsburgh Division, Dave Cunningham. “We are grateful for the continued partnership
and coordinated efforts of our law enforcement and prosecutorial colleagues, whose
dedication was instrumental throughout this investigation.”

The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to
$250,000, or both at each of Counts One through Four (wire fraud) and a sentence of up
to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both at Count Five (theft of
government property). Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence
imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal
history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf
of the government.

The Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection
Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Pennsylvania Department of Labor and
Industry conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud
Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate
and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of
Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud,
a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud,
waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until
proven guilty.

Updated April 21, 2026

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Our copy: 2026-04-21-former-state-labor-department-employee-charged-bribes-unemployment-claims.pdf
Original: www.oig.dol.gov