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SAN DIEGO – University City Dermatologist Mona Zohdi Mofid was sentenced in federal court today to two years’ probation after pleading guilty in April to misdemeanor hoarding of N95 respirator masks that had been designated scarce during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SAN DIEGO – Constantin Sandu of Romania pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he masterminded a scheme to steal more than $5 million in California unemployment insurance benefits intended to help workers impacted by the pandemic.

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TEMIKA SANTEMORE, age 43, currently a resident of Houston, Texas, was charged July 7, 2023 in a two-count bill of information with making false statements and theft of government funds related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

NEW ORLEANS – DEDRA BRIGHT (“BRIGHT”), age 64, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced on July 5, 2023 to payment of restitution and probation for theft of government funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641, announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans.

A woman serving a life sentence in state prison for murder was sentenced today in federal court to 84 months in federal prison for leading a ring that fraudulently obtained more than $1.5 million in California unemployment insurance (UI) benefits – mostly pandemic-related relief – by using other people’s identities, some of which belonged to her fellow California prison inmates.

A West Los Angeles man was sentenced today to 79 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining approximately $9 million in COVID-19 business loans, some of which he used on gambling excursions to Las Vegas and transferred to his stock trading accounts.

Between December 2020 and September 2021, Central Texas Allied Health Institute (CTAHI), a nonprofit City of Austin contractor, committed fraud by misrepresenting over $1.1 million in financial transactions across three contracts with Austin Public Health. In total, CTAHI was improperly paid roughly $417,000 because of its fraudulent contract claims. In addition, CTAHI appears to have overstated its total vaccination numbers and fabricated patient information under its contract to provide COVID-19 vaccines.

The Office of the State Comptroller issued a report in connection with its initial, limited review of the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) administration of the New Jersey COVID-19 CARES Act Marine Fisheries Assistance Grant Program (Fisheries Program). This letter memorializes the results from the Office of the State Comptroller and the independent COVID-19 Integrity Oversight Monitors reviews of the Fisheries Program and reports on DEP’s recent commitment to recoup public funds that should be returned to the State.