Mother, daughter duo charged in a nearly $2 million COVID-19 fraud scheme

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Two women, a mother and daughter, have been indicted in a pandemic assistance fraud scheme in which they allegedly made unauthorized payments the tune of nearly $2 million.

According to the office of the Ohio Inspector General, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services referred “an allegation of wrongdoing” to the Office of the Ohio Inspector General involving Rashanna Burley, a former intermittent customer service representative.

Burley was responsible for previewing Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims assigned to her to verify that all required documents had been submitted. The referral alleged that Burley had accessed unassigned claims and removed holds or blocks on them, which she was unauthorized to do, resulting in ineligible payments to claimants.

Investigators discovered that, before January 2023, Burley, along with her mother, Velma Cain, also a former customer service representative, had improperly accessed and taken actions in several of the same claims. It was determined that these actions resulted in the release of $355,382 from Burley and $1,582,251 from Cain in funds.

Many of the claimants were allegedly known relatives or personal associates of Burley and Cain, who were each charged with endangering in a pattern of corrupt activity, theft, tampering with records, telecommunications fraud, theft in office and money laundering.

Kyson Murphy, a personal associate of Burley, was also an alleged participant in the scheme and charged with the same felony counts.