Georgia state Capitol (FOX 5)
ATLANTA - Eight former state employees have been charged with filing false claims to receive unemployment benefits when they were still employed with the state of Georgia.
James Neville, La-Kira Williams, Denice Vance, Divincia Richardson, Willie Jones, Tamika C. Goodwin, Curesha Blair, and Regina Sterling were charged with multiple counts of making false statements and writings.
Attorney General Chris Carr says all eight submitted false claims and weekly certifications to the Georgia Department of Labor during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Government employees are entrusted to operate honesty and ethically, and those who do not will be held accountable," said Carr. "We will not hesitate to pursue any individual who works for our state and seeks to illegally obtain public funds for their own personal gain. We are committed to protecting taxpayer dollars no matter the amount, and this type of fraud will not be tolerated."
Last week’s indictments were handed down after an investigation conducted by the State of Georgia Office of the Inspector General with assistance from Georgia DOL and the Office of Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Labor.
"OIG has worked closely with DOL and the Attorney General’s Office in bringing this case for prosecution," said interim state Inspector General Nigel Lange. "Georgia public servants who seek to illegally further their own interests rather than those of the public they serve will be caught. These indictments send a clear message to any like-minded individuals. OIG is focused on reducing corruption in state government and relies upon the vigilance of its partner agencies to continue with the mission."
In addition, all but Goodwin, Blair, and Sterling face addition counts for violation of the Georgia Employment Security Law.
Each were charged separately.