U.S. Department of Labor OIG, Batavia Woman Arrested, Charged With COVID Fraud (USAO WD-NY 09/01/2021) (2021-09-02)

Summary

A September 1, 2021 press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York announcing that Danielle Tooley, of Batavia, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with wire fraud and theft of government funds. According to the complaint, between July and December 4, 2020, the defendant and others used the personal identifying information of other individuals to apply for and collect unemployment benefits connected to federal COVID-19 relief programs. The release states that six New York State unemployment benefit cards issued to others were recovered after a November 24, 2020 arrest by the New York State Police, and that the scheme resulted in a loss of at least $99,141.39 to the United States. Tooley appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and was released on conditions.

Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used

Full text

                                     Department of Justice
                                       U.S. Attorney’s Office
                                    Western District of New York

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                  Wednesday, September 1, 2021

     Batavia Woman Arrested, Charged With COVID Fraud
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051

ROCHESTER, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Danielle Tooley, 36,
of Batavia, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with wire fraud and theft of
government funds. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000
fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint,
between July and December 4, 2020, the defendant and others knowingly used the personal
identifying information of other individuals unlawfully to apply for and collect unemployment
benefits connected to federal COVID-19 relief programs.

The scheme came to the attention of law enforcement on November 24, 2020, when Tooley was
arrested by the New York State Police on charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance
during a vehicle traffic stop in Bergen, NY. During the interaction with the defendant, troopers
observed a crack pipe with white residue inside of Tooley’s vehicle. After the arrest, the defendant’s
vehicle was searched, and six New York State unemployment benefit cards were recovered. The
benefit cards were issued to individuals other than Tooley. The benefit cards were turned over to the
Buffalo Field Office of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, for further
investigation. A subsequent examination of bank records for the benefit cards revealed several
indicators of fraud and video footage from ATMs where the cards were used confirmed that the
defendant had consistently withdrawn money from the cards. Tooley routinely used the personal
identifying information of others in order to apply for and collect unemployment benefits in their
names. In total, the scheme resulted in a loss of at least $99,141.39 to the United States.

The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and was
released on conditions.

The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of
Inspector General, Office of Investigations – Labor Racketeering and Fraud, New York Region,
under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan Mellone; the Department of Homeland
Security, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Todd
Allen; the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Jeffrey Burr; the Social
Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge
John F. Grasso; and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Barry Chase.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is
presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.


Topic(s):                                              Component(s):
Coronavirus                                            USAO - New York, Western


File and source

File

2021-09-02-Batavia-Woman-Arrested-Charged-With-COVID-Fraud-USAO-WD-NY-09-01-2021.pdf

Size

105,270 bytes

SHA-256

2a25843cf708e42f224a9cbb1b9f9ddf3284d3acb1cd511009dafa668b78b78c

Our copy

2021-09-02-Batavia-Woman-Arrested-Charged-With-COVID-Fraud-USAO-WD-NY-09-01-2021.pdf

Original

www.oig.dol.gov