SCRANTON — A previous worker with the Social Security Administration was given a three-year prison sentence for committing fraud related to pandemic relief.
U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion imposed a three-year federal prison sentence and three years of supervised release on Takiyah Gordon Austin, 47, who used to live in Wilkes-Barre, on wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges, as stated by U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam.
Austin was also instructed to reimburse $288,590.
As a claims specialist, Austin submitted claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance for people who were not eligible in return for payments from them, according to a press release.
Austin submitted claims by accessing SSA databases to get personal identifying details from unsuspecting individuals and redirected the unemployment funds to her own addresses to use for personal expenses, the press release explains.
The Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Office all investigated the case.
Megan Curran, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, and Alisan V. Martin, Assistant U.S. Attorney, served as prosecutors.
